Title - Ghordpadi rail overbridge: defence secy to intervene

A heart patient had lost life while waiting at railway crossing.


Citizens during a signature campaign for construction of the overbridge.
Those waiting for long to walk on a foot overbridge (FOB) at Ghorpadi railway crossing has something to cheer about. Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has directed the Union defence secretary to look into the grievances of Ghorpadi-Mundhwa Rail Overbridge Committee (GMROB) and take appropriate action at the earliest.

In a letter to prime minister Manmohan Singh, GMROB had requested the office to direct defence ministry to get land released from the Local Military Authorities (LMA) to allow Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to build railway overbridges (ROBs).

The panel had also organised a three-day signature campaign in March this year, wherein more than 15,000 people had participated. The petition supported by the signatures were sent to PMO.

GMROB convenor Lt Col (retd) MK Gupta Ray said, “Only the PMO acted in a proactive manner. Other authorities did not even cared to send an acknowledgment. We will try our best to get two ROBs constructed.”

The railway crossing closed for more than 30 minutes for lack of ROBs is causing severe public inconveniences. Sanjay Kawde, a 44-year-old resident of the area, said, “I will never forget the day when my uncle Ramchandra Ganeshkar (63) had a major heart attack. We got the ambulance but got stuck at the railway crossing and my uncle lost his life on the way to the hospital.”

The increasing number of trains passing through this line leading to the rail level crossing gate to remain closed for longer duration and the ever increasing traffic flow has left the situation at these two rail gates chaotic. GMROB secretary Nirmala Tikku said, “A day is not far when the gates will remain closed almost for the whole day. Over two hundred trains, passengers and goods, pass through these two gates.”