Rupsa: Amarda Road railway station under South Eastern Railways (SER) in Basta block is an important one in Balasore districts and generates revenue of about `4 lakh per month.
However, SER has not given much focus to its development, a report said. The railway station doesn’t have information boards at the entry point while platform no-4 remains neglected. No step was taken for a high-level platform here.
The station is located on the borders of Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts and is connected by a road to the airstrip at Rasgobindapur.
Thousands of people from Natakata, Kulinda, Barunagadia, Purusottampur, Nakichua, Sarmula, Kamardiha, Nalagaja, Debashula, Chitrada and Muruda panchayats take trains from here to their destinations on a daily basis.
Locals lamented that though the station was set up in the pre-Independence era, no effort has been made to develop its infrastructure.
A local outfit, Anchalika Bikash Manch, has long been fighting for the cause of the station. The major demands of the outfit included a high-level platform, a reception counter, bright lighting system, a passenger restroom, special lavatories for women passengers and halt of East Coast Express and Salimar-Baripada Express trains at the station.
President of the outfit, Ramachnadra Roul and other functionaries had earlier submitted memoranda to the general manager of ECR and the divisional railway manager of Kharagpur about their demands, but nothing has been done even after assurance.
The platform no-4 has been covered with wild creepers and bushes. Passengers face difficulties to board trains in the absence of a high-level platform. Station manager Kamalakant Ghose said the railway authorities were aware of the demands of the local people.
“This station contributes `4 lakh as monthly revenue. The authorities will take steps for redressing its basic problems,” he asserted.
PNN