Kumta: Inspired by ‘Swatchh Bharath’ Mission, an industrialist from Kumta, has adopted Konkan Railway Station here as far as ensuring cleanliness is concerned.

Businessman S R Patel has been silently ensuring this for the past two years. Patel, originally from Gujarat, started on this mission due to problems he encountered first hand while travelling to Gujarat in Konkan Railway. 

The people from this area were forced to either go to Karwar or Udupi to board train to Gujarat since majority of the trains did not stop in Kumta.

He organised the local people, and staged several protests and submitted numerous memoranda, and finally was able to force Railway authorities to provide stoppage for express trains in Kumta.

After observing all his activities over the years, and convinced by his resolve, Konkan Railway authorities finally gave him the responsibility of ensuring the cleanliness in the station. It is the common refrain of most people that since the Railway station belongs to the Central government, they cannot do much about it. The present Konkan Railway Managing Director was known to me on account of my several visits to his office to discuss various issues with regard to the railway facilities.

Once during such a visit to Kumta, he noticed that two-wheelers were parked haphazardly in front of the railway station. He immediately made arrangements for parking facility. Later, based on the suggestion made by Konkan Railway PRO Sudha Krishnamurthy, he advised me to take over the responsibility of ensuring the station’s cleanliness, Patel said.

Since past two years, the station is cleaned four times in a month. The other staffers of the station too help us in this. Apart from this, a person looks after the daily cleanliness. Moreover, posters have been installed at various places in the station exhorting passengers to ensure station’s cleanliness, he explained.