JASWANT SINGH GANDAM / RAMAN NEHRA
India Post News Service
PHAGWARA: With a view to giving better facilities to the residents of Phagwara in particular and public of the region in general, Citizens Rights Forum, Phagwara, an apex body of civic rights activists, mooted a slew of steps in a bunch of representations it submitted to Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Som Parkash here.
It the first representation, Forum’s president Dr J.S. Virk told the minister that the railway station at Phagwara was in very bad shape and needed his attention to pursuing it to the Railway Ministry.
“Sometime back Rs 1 crore was sanctioned for modernization of this railway station according to media reports but whether this money was spent or not for this purpose was not known,” said Virk.
He told Som Parkash that there was an urgent need to construct more sheds, benches and toilets on the platforms for the facility of passengers.
“The waiting room also needs modernization. There is no guest house and parks around the station which can be beautified with greenery and gardening. Lift system can be installed to cross over to the other side of the station,” he said.
He said that a footbridge constructed recently remained unutilized.
”The railway crossing near Khera Road caters to about 50 to 60 villages and FCI godown, and it always caused traffic problem to the public of these villages. An overbridge at this crossing is the much-needed demand of the public. We request you to pursue this with the railway ministry and do the needful”,” Virk said
The Minister assured the Forum chief that he will take up these issues with Union Railway Minister.
Through another representation, Virk demanded renovation of Rest House of Phagwara as it was the face of the city and situated at a very strategic place on National Highway 1.
The third representation demanded arrangement of a meeting of the representatives of NHAI with the citizens to clear their doubts about the proposed design of the under-construction overbridge on NH1 and underpasses.
