Confirmed ticket holders only allowed on platforms at 60 major stations, including B'luru
New Delhi: In a bid to improve crowd control at stations with heavy footfall, Indian Railways has decided that only passengers with confirmed tickets will be allowed to enter platforms at 60 major stations, including Bengaluru.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw chaired a high-level meeting with senior railway officials on Friday, following the stampede at New Delhi railway station last month that claimed 18 lives and left 15 others injured.
"Complete access control will be initiated at the 60 stations. Passengers with confirmed reserve tickets will be given direct access to the platforms. Those without a ticket or with a waiting list ticket will wait in the outside waiting area. All unauthorised entry points at stations will be sealed," the statement said.
A permanent waiting area outside these 60 stations would be constructed. The decision was taken based on previous experience of creating waiting areas at New Delhi, Surat Udhna and Patna railway stations which were able to manage large crowds.
Furthermore, it was decided in the meeting that all major stations will have a senior officer as Station Director. All other departments will report to the Station Director. “The Station Director will get financial empowerment so that he can take on-the-spot decisions for improving the station. The Station Director will be empowered to control the sale of tickets as per capacity of the station and the available trains,” officials said.
Another significant discussion was regarding the construction of wider Foot Over Bridges (FOB). Two new designs — for 12-metre wide (40 feet) and 6-metre wide (20 feet) standard FOBs — have been developed.
Cameras will also be installed in the adjoining areas of the selected stations, while war rooms will be set up at large stations, where officers from all departments will coordinate during times of heavy crowding. Additionally, newly designed uniforms will be issued to staff and service personnel to ensure they can be easily identified in crisis situations.
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Bhojshala case: Disputed structure built from remains of pre-existing temples, claims ASI
Indore (PTI): The ASI has told the Madhya Pradesh High Court that a massive structure dating back to the Paramara kings' rule existed at the disputed Bhojshala temple-Kamal Maula mosque complex, and the current structure was built from the remains of temples.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) made the claim on Tuesday based on its 98-day scientific survey and over 2,000-page report.
The Hindu community considers Bhojshala a temple dedicated to Vagdevi (Goddess Saraswati), while the Muslim side claims the monument as the Kamal Maula Mosque. The disputed complex is protected by the ASI.
During the hearing before Justices Vijay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi of the HC's Indore bench, Additional Solicitor General Sunil Kumar Jain, representing the ASI, presented a detailed account of the scientific survey conducted two years ago at the complex.
Referring to the ASI's survey report, he said, "Retrieved architectural remains, sculptural fragments, large slabs of inscriptions with literary texts, Nagakarnika inscriptions on pillars, etc, suggest that a large structure associated with literary and educational activities existed at the site. Based on scientific investigations and archaeological remains recovered during the investigations, this pre-existing structure can be dated to the Paramara period."
It can be said that the existing structure was made from the parts of earlier temples, based on scientific investigations, survey and archaeological excavations conducted, study and analysis of retrieved finds, study of architectural remains, sculptures, and inscriptions, art and sculptures, Jain said quoting the report.
Summarising the report, he also drew the court's attention to the fact that the archaeological study identifies that many architectural components, such as pillars and beams, were originally part of temple structures before being repurposed for a mosque.
"The evidence of this transition includes Sanskrit and Prakrit inscriptions that were damaged or hidden, alongside sculptures of deities and animals that were often mutilated or defaced," Jain contended.
The report also states that "all Sanskrit and Prakrit inscriptions are older than the Arabic and Persian inscriptions, indicating that users or engravers of the Sanskrit and Prakrit inscriptions occupied the place earlier".
In light of the Muslim side's earlier objections, the bench wanted to know why there were some discrepancies in the ASI's responses regarding the status of the disputed complex in the cases filed over the years.
The Additional Solicitor General argued that earlier studies of the complex involved only officials, while the current survey involved scientists and the use of advanced technologies such as Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR).
The hearing in the Bhojshala case will continue on Wednesday.
The high court has been regularly hearing four petitions and one writ appeal regarding the religious nature of the Bhojshala temple-Kamal Maula mosque complex since April 6.
