But the status has done nothing to improve the state of Chikkaballapur railway station.
Equipped with only four employees the station doesn’t have basic facilities such as drinking water and toilet. Several inter-state trains pass through the station which houses not a single shop to serve coffee or eatables.
Empty tanks
Two tanks built here were never filled with water. Toilet has not been built due to lack of water supply.
Even the passengers of the trains such as Dharmapur-Bangalore-Chikkaballapur, which would stop for quite a while, have to answer their nature call in open air.
The four employees who work here have to undergo the ordeal everyday as their requests and memorandums have not been heeded to so far. They work here even without taking their weekly offs let alone other privilege leaves, said one of the employees.
Dilapidated quarters
Besides, the employees can’t have sound sleep at home as their dilapidated quarters may collapse any time.
Instead of deploying railway police, personnel from the police department (law and order) have been deployed. Even they have got no facilities but a godown for their house.
Muniyappa has visited the station several times but not even once has he spoken to the four employees about the problems of the station.
However, on dais he didn’t ever forget to promise that the station will be upgraded and railway passengers will be provided with all facilities.
The Railways doesn’t have to fret about land for developing the station as it has nearly 200 acres.
It just have to clear the encroachment and initiate work on upgrading the station.