Railways to take MP funds, support from NGOs to set up toilets

MPs will provide help from MPLAD Fund to improve the amenities at railway stations

The Ahmedabad division of Indian Railways will get funds from Members of Parliament (MPs) along with help from various NGOs to set up sanitation facilities at Ahmedabad railway station.

"For the first time in the history of Indian Railways, MPs will provide help from MPLAD (MP Local Area Development) Fund to improve the amenities at railway stations and the first item identified under this (fund allocation) is benches," Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Rahul Agrawal told reporters here.

"We so far got good help to put benches at the railway station. We have also initiated talks for setting up toilets.

We are planning to take NGOs' help to set up modular toilets so that maintenance cost can be reduced," said Agrawal.

"We will try to initiate pilot project to set up modular toilets very soon, but it will depend on the support of NGOs," he said.

Agrawal also said that MPs, including Arun Jaitley, Kirit Solanki and MP from Mehsana Jayshree Patel, have been given proposals by Ahmedabad division for setting up toilets at the railway station here.

The DRM was talking to reporters after holding an interaction with passengers at Ahmedabad railway station on the first day of Indian Railway's fortnight programme 'Rai yatri/ Upbhokta Pakhwada' (Rail passengers/ consumers fortnight).

He said that cleanliness is a crucial issue not only on the railway stations but also inside the trains.

"We have also initiated efforts to clean the trains en route to other stations. For that, we have started continuous monitoring on real-time basis," he said.

"To provide cleanliness on stations, CCTVs have been installed at strategical locations on Ahmedabad railway station and also a surprise surveillance centre has been set up so that cleanliness can be maintained," he said.

The railway division is in talks with Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and also district Collectorate to provide basic amenities.

"Considering the issue of rush, we are planning to increase the train coaches capacity. We are of the view that a train should run with 24 coaches. We want to get it sanctioned by the end of this year. The train length should be increased, so that more and more passengers can be covered," he said.