PATNA: The railways has taken strong exception to forcible occupation of railway waiting rooms, retiring rooms and service buildings by the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Bihar Military Police (BMP) at 18 important stations, including Patna Junction, in Danapur division of East Central Railway ( ECR). These forces have been occupying the railway premises for a long time causing much hardship to passengers.
According to Danapur divisional railway manager (DRM) L M Jha, waiting rooms, retiring rooms and service buildings at station premises are important for railways to provide basic amenities to passengers. Unfortunately, railways has become helpless to fulfil passengers’ needs at most major stations under the Danapur division due to illegal occupation of waiting rooms and retiring rooms by the armed forces. Despite repeated reminders to the officials concerned, railways has not been able to get these premises vacated by the two police forces, he said.
Jha pointed out that the spacious area at the Karbigahiya end of Patna Junction has been under the occupation of Rapid Action Force (RAF) for a long time causing much hardship to passengers. Since railways has chalked out a comprehensive plan to develop the Karbigahiya end as the second exit point, it urgently needs this space to carry out passenger-related development work, he said.