Udupi: The platform will be widened and extended along with escalator facility at Udupi Railway Station said Bindu Muralidharan, Regional Railway Manager (Karwar), Konkan Railway. She was addressing a press meet at Community Hall here on June 2.
Undertaking activities under the Rail Yathri/Upbhoktha Pakhwada (Rail Passenger and Customer Facilitation Fortnight) which is being observed by all the zonal railways from 26th May to 9th June, 2015. Konkan Railway has launched its “Celebration of 25 Years of Sadar Seva”. With its Motto as ‘Sadar Seva’, Konkan Railway is scaling new heights in areas of passenger care and satisfaction as it ‘celebrates its Silver Jubilee this year on 15th October. To commemorate the occasion, an Action Plan booklet was also released by Shri B P Tayal, CMD/KRC.L, for compliance by all the employees of KRCL.
During the Fortnight, Konkan Railway will step up its “Swach Bharat Campaign” by taking steps towards making its Madgaon Station as ‘Zero Waste Station’. The all waste at the Station will be converted suitably to green manure or energy. For this, a compost plant has been installed at Madgaon Station. Finally KR aims to achieve this for all the Stations under its jurisdiction in Goa. It is also planned to install bio-toilets on all the Stations falling under KR route. So Bio-toilets have been installed Kankavali, Sawantwadi, Chiplun, Karmali, Madgaon, Karwar and Byndoor Stations.
Already KR has initiated collection of biodegradable garbage from the Pantry Cars by paying an incentive of rupees 50 per 20 kg to encourage collection of garbage and avoid littering of garbage on the tracks and stations by Pantry Car. For any instance of littering or throwing of garbage in other than nominated areas by either the pantry car or catering vendors, a fine of rupees 50,000 per instance being realized by KR.
Competitions will be organised tor KR employees children for making crafts from Waste material. Konkan Railway is having a dedicated Toll-free Train Enquiry number 1 800-233-1332 on its system. The caller tune will be the ‘Swach Bharat’ caller tune w.e.f. 26.03.2015 KR will also be purchasing 200 no’s of brooms made from organic product and manufactured by Sell-Help Group for the ‘ Cleanliness Drive’. Various schools, colleges and NGO’s are being approached for participating in ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’. Officials have been nominated for inspection of all Stations along KR route to ensure proper cleanliness. Awards will also be given to those employees who have taken special initiative to keep their work areas and living areas clean.
A During this fortnight, initiative will be taken for Skills Development by KR by imparting computer literacy to people in remote areas along KR routes . Already 15,916 villagers have availed of KR’s Shiksha Abhiyan. All KR employees irrespective of their Grade will be made computer literate. Tourist guide training is being impacted by KR to local taxi and auto rickshaw drivers to promote tourism.
During the fortnight special ticket checking drives have been planned on KR route. KR has earned rupees 9.07crores during 2013-14 and 11.48 crores during 2014-15 from fine collections by conducting surprise checks. Surprise as well as regular checks has been planned for catering services in trains and at stations. A special punctuality drive for trains is also organized for various trains.
For patients below poverty line, a special camp is been organized at Gokarna Station through telemedicine. Medicine disbursement will also be arranged free of cost to these patients by KR. Career counseling to the students of 10th and 12th class has been arranged through professionals.
Meetings will be held with Sarpanchs and villagers residing near level crossing gates to prevent level crossing accidents. Tourism policy for KR is under finalization with Tourism Directorate if Maharastra, Goa and Karnataka. For last two years, KR has been participating in Goa carnival and has won prizes for same. Special training in Yoga, fire fighting, civil defense is been organized for KR employees.
The improvements in passenger amenities are also planned during the year 2015. Widening of platform at Thivim along with high-level platform, new FOB, two additional lines. New PRS, widening of platform and new FOB at Sawantwadi, Escalators and Travelators at Ratnagiri, Widening of platform and one additional line at Kanakavali.
The Wi-Fi facility will be extended in Madgaon station along with escalators, widening of platform, bio-toilet, additional line and food court. A new station building, new platform and circulating area, 45 mtrs * 10 mtrs platform shelter.
The new projects that are planned are Jaigad Port Connectivity, Electrification, Patch Doubling and Chiplyun-Karad new railway line.
Sudha Krishnamurthy, Chief Public Relations Officer ( Konkan Railway) and others were present.
