Title - Bathinda junction to rely on temporary measures for now

Bathinda:
Bathinda junction’s wait for a long-term solution to its sanitation worries got a little longer today when senior officials at Ambala said that the finalisation of the tender would take at least two months.Gulshan, senior divisional commercial manager (SDCM), Ambala division, along with some other officials, visited the Bathinda railway station today and took a stock of the sanitation situation. Although chief commercial manager general Vidya Sinha was scheduled to visit the station, she had to terminate her visit. Though close to 20 cleaners and sweepers were sent from Dhuri, Saharanpur, Ambala and Kalka and close to 15 men were hired by the junction authorities to clean up the station before the visit, the officials looked dissatisfied with the condition of the station. Despite sprinkling of DDT and other insecticides, foul smell emanated from the tracks. Discussing the situation, the SDCM told the authorities that the clearance of tender would take at least two more months because of some “technical problems”. He added that till then the authorities could initiate the work of inviting quotations to give the contract to a firm on a monthly basis.Interestingly, the earlier contract had ended on August 25 and the authorities had floated a new tender on August 12. When asked why the tender was floated earlier, the SDCM said, “We had floated a tender sometimes ago, but it had to be discharged for the non-compliance of rules and regulations. A minimum gap of at least 45 needs to be given before floating a tender.”

“There were inevitable technical issue due to which the tender couldn’t be completed in time. Till the time the work is handed over to a firm for three years, we have asked the junction authorities to hire private firms to clean up the station,” he added.

Meanwhile, the junction authorities are managing the situation precariously. “We hire at least 10 sweepers to clean up the washable aprons and tracks everyday. They are being paid wages at the rate of Rs 219. An additional four workers of the medical department are responsible for sweeping the offices and railway platforms,” said the station superintendent, Pradeep Sharma.

He also said that the situation could have been better, if people had some civic sense. He also pointed out that the exit passageway near the railway ticket booking counter was being used by the public as open urinal. “Since there is no fine, people litter every nook and corner of the station and then complain of the sanitation situation. We all can play our part in keeping the place clean,” he said.