Sachin Tendulkar had raised the issue in Rajya Sabha last year.
That the Elphinstone station massacre was a tragedy waiting to happen was apparent to anyone who has ever taken that footbridge. Structurally narrow with scores of passengers pouring in, commuters had time and again raised the issue about the foot-over bridge.
But it’s not just common citizens who raised their voice about the inadequate passage and the dangers it posted to commuters. Last year, Shiv Sena’s Lok Sabha MP Arvind Sawant and Rajya Sabha MP Sachin Tendulkar had both raised the issue in 2016.
While Sachin Tendulkar has been criticised for being absent from Parliament, but 23 people might have been alive if the government had paid heed to Tendulkar. Out of the 22 questions he has asked so far, 8 were about the Railways and he had even raised the issue of the Elphinstone Road station.
In 2016, he had asked the Railway ministry whether it had "identified high-density stations which have only one single bridge like Mumbra, Parel and others, for additional bridge construction to enhance safety during peak hours”.
Erstwhile, MoS Railways Rajen Gohain had assured Sachin Tendulkar that provisions for five new FOBs had been sanctioned, one each for Bhayandar, Elphinstone Road, Kandiwali, Khar Road and Virar railway stations.
Erstwhile, Railiway minister Suresh Prabhu had also assured Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant that he had sanctioned work for an upgrade at Elphinstone Road Station under Passenger Amenities for Rs 11.86 crore. The tender, reported Indian Express, is valued at Rs 12.8 crore, is set to open in November, a year after work was sanctioned.
Sadly, a year later, there was no new FOB at Elphinstone Road, and the price that bureaucratic lethargy cost is there for all to see.
Here’s the full exchange between Sachin Tendulkar and MoS in Rajya Sabha:
Platform raising exercise for Mumbai suburban network
3089. SHRI SACHIN RAMESH TENDULKAR: Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:
(a) whether there is an update on the platform-raising exercise for the Mumbai
suburban network;
(b) the number of stations where work has been completed and the time-line for its
full completion; and
(c) whether Railways have identified high-density stations which have only one single bridge like Mumbra, Parel in CR and others in WR, for additional bridge construction
to enhance safety during peak hours?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN):
(a) to (c) 62 railway stations in Mumbai suburban area have been identified for work of raising of platforms.
Work of raising of all identified platforms has been completed at 44 railway stations. The works of raising of platforms at remaining stations have been targeted for completion by June, 2017.
The need for provision of additional Foot Over Bridge (FOB) at stations on Mumbai sub-urban section is regularly examined and if found justified and feasible, suitable action is taken. Accordingly, works of provision of five new FOBs, one each at Bhayandar, Elphinstone Road, Kaandivali, Khar Road and Virar railway stations on Western Railway have been sanctioned in 2016-17.
Two FOBs are already operational at Mumbra and Parel stations. Construction of one additional i.e. third FOB has been taken up at Mumbra station in connection with 5th and 6th lines
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