Bhatkal: A meeting was held at the Bhatkal railway training center on 1st October, Sunday, where the Konkan railway officials met with the locals and representatives of various social organizations.
The meeting was organised as a result of the application drafted by the residents of Manakuli, Bhatkal Krishnanand Prabhu and social worker Syed Hassan Barmawar requesting for the development of the Konkan railway station in Bhatkal and provision of additional facilities for the public.
Addressing at the meeting, Konkan railway regional manager Aseem Sulaiman said that they had received an application stating that people of Bhatkal with help of some social organisations especially NRI’s are interested in development of the station.
“Hence, we decided to have a discussion regarding the development of the railway station with the social organisations and local leaders in Bhatkal itself in a pleasant environment and make a plan to implement the same”, he added.
He said that among the various requests made by Mr. Krishnanand, the KRCL will be taking up the work of providing additional drinking water facility and additional seating arrangement at the Platform no 2 and the Approach Road repairs with circulating area by asphalting has been sanctioned and the work will begin after monsoon regarding the same.
“However, since Bhatkal is a ‘D’ class station, the passenger amenities are provided as per the norms of railway board and the KRCL is continuously upgrading the amenities at all stations in a phased manner based on availability of funds. Hence, the development of Platform no 1 and 2 cannot be taken up at the moment”, he added.
Talking about the request to make more Express trains halt at the station, he said that the Konkan Railways follows a policy of staggered stoppages in order to maintain the super-fast characteristics of the express trains and it is not in their hand to make the train stop at any station. However, they will try to get atleast another two to three express trains to halt at the station.
He further said that KRCL welcomes sponsors for providing amenities at the stations.
Commercial manager Madgaon Shridhar Bhat, Commercial supervisor Udupi Satish Hegde, Bhatkal railway station officer K S N Murthy and others were present at the meeting.