Mangaluru central station to have 2 more platforms by September
Mangaluru(PTI): The Southern Railway (SR) is planning to complete the work on two new platforms at the Mangaluru central railway station by September next year.
SR general manager John Thomas, who visited the central railway station here on Tuesday and reviewed the ongoing work on the additional platforms, told reporters here that the pit line work at the station will be completed by March. The work on the new platforms will be taken up after that and completed within six months.
The GM said the new platforms will pave way for running more trains from the station and ease congestion, meeting the long-pending demands of the people from the region. Palakkad railway divisional manager Trilok Kothari was also present.
Members of West Coast Railway yatri abhivriddhi committee handed over a petition to Thomas seeking addition of second entry point to the station from the direction of Attavar and the extension of Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru junction Gomateshwara express day train till the central station.
The committee also sought the extension of Puttur passenger train till Subrahmanya road, extension of Mumbai CST Express train to central station and sanctioning a halt for Matsyagandha Express train at Mangaluru junction station. The general manager promised to consider their demands.
The GM said the Cheruvathur-Mangaluru passenger train which helped thousands of students from Kerala studying in Mangaluru will be reintroduced after assessing the Covid situation in the state.
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Mamata visits Bhabanipur EVM strong room, warns against counting irregularities
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee early Friday warned against any attempt to tamper with the counting process, hours after she visited an EVM strong room in Bhabanipur, alleging possible malpractice.
Banerjee, who emerged around 12:07 am after spending nearly four hours at the counting centre for her Bhabanipur constituency housed in Sakhawat Memorial School in south Kolkata, said only one person would be allowed inside the designated counting area.
"Either the candidate or one agent can stay upstairs. I have also suggested installation of a CCTV camera for the media," she told reporters.
Stressing the need for transparency, she said, "It is essential to maintain transparency. People’s votes must be protected. I rushed here after receiving complaints. The central forces initially did not allow me to enter."
Sounding a stern note ahead of the May 4 counting, she added, "If there is any plan to tamper with the counting process, it will not be tolerated."
On Thursday evening, Banerjee had reached the Bhabanipur Assembly segment counting centre, which houses the strong room for EVMs used in the April 29 polling, citing suspicion of tampering with the machines.
She entered the premises along with her election agent and remained inside for hours, even as Kolkata Mayor and TMC candidate from the Kolkata Port segment Firhad Hakim reached the spot but could not meet her.
"I reached here upon learning that the chief minister has arrived. But I couldn’t meet her since she was already inside the premises, exercising her right as a candidate to visit strong rooms. I wasn’t allowed there. I will not be able to confirm what exactly is transpiring inside," Hakim said.
The development coincided with protests by TMC candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in north Kolkata, where they staged a sit-in alleging irregularities and possible tampering of EVMs stored in strong rooms, leading to face-offs between TMC and BJP supporters.
Earlier in a video message, Banerjee had urged party leaders, workers and polling agents to maintain a 24-hour vigil on EVM strong rooms, alleging that the BJP could attempt to tamper with the machines before counting begins.
Her remarks come amid heightened political tension in the state following a fiercely contested Assembly election, with parties closely monitoring arrangements and raising concerns over transparency.
