Berhampur: Train passengers are facing enormous hardship due to lack of basic amenities at Paralakhemundi station in Odisha’s Gajapati district which occupies an important place in the railway history of the country.
Though the construction work for renovating the platform is in progress now, there is no 24X7 water supply, no electric light to illuminate the platform, no adequate chairs for the passengers.
‘Apanna Parichha Smruti Sansad’, a local organisation spearheading a movement for the development of railway infrastructure in Paralakhemundi, made an on-the-spot study about lack of basic amenities and demanded immediate steps to improve the situation.
During a recent visit of Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Visakhapatnam, Anup Satpathy to Paralakhemundi railway station, the organisation took up the matter with him.
The DRM along with 30 staff visited Paralakhemundi station to review the upgradation of some stations including Paralakhemundi under Amrit Bharat scheme.
Secretary of the organisaiton Muralidhar Parichha along with others submitted a memorandum to the DRM demanding steps to derive water from Mahendratanaya river which is just 3-kms from Paralakhemundi railway station.
Stating that more than 100 railway staff besides passengers depend upon just 2 borewells and one unhygienic well, the memorandum said uninterrupted supply of safe drinking water should be arranged.
They requested the authorities to ensure extension of 08433/4 Bhubaneswar-Palasa Memu train to Paralakhemundi and also extension of 08521 Gunupur-Visakhapatnam Express to Vijayawada with augmentation of AC and sleeper coaches.
They demanded construction of a second platform to facilitate the passengers to get down. As Paralakhemundi is a single line section and is the mid station of Naupada and Gunupur line it needs one more crossing/ stable line halt for smooth running of daily trains in the section.
Thousands of people visit Paralakhemundi daily and people travel to other states to export agricultural goods. “We request you to renovate the 123 years old existing goods shed which is still in good condition. Introduce one goods siding in the same path,” they demanded.
They requested the DRM to arrange a digital clock and digital announcement system in Paralakhemundi Station as manual announcement is unreachable to the passengers waiting for a long length train.
The organisation also urged the DRM to plinth one Maharaja’s ‘Parlakimidi Light Railway’ (PLR) locomotive engine PL 697 or PL 693 at Paralakhemundi which was in service since 1900 and establish PLR rail heritage museum at Paralakhemundi Station. It would be a tribute to the great son of this soil and to cherish the rail heritage in its native station, they said.
The petitioners said the DRM assured them that steps will be taken for third crossing line, second platform at Paralakhemundi, foot over bridge, underpass, augmentation of AC and sleeper in Visakhapatnam-Gunupur train, extension of Bhubaneswar-Palasa Memu train to Paralakhemundi, digital announcement at Paralakhemundi.
