Aurangabad activists cry foul over railways’ flip-flop

Times of India: Aurangabad: Tuesday, 19 August 2014.

Activists are miffed with the railway authorities over their changing versions about the survey of the rail route between Solapur and Jalgaon. The activists said in a latest reply to an RTI application, the railway authorities have said that no survey of the route was conducted. However, the authorities had earlier claimed that the survey was in fact carried out.

The RTI replies to the applications filed by the railway activists have revealed many flip-flops by the authorities and even different replies to the same question.

Omprakash Verma, president of Marathwada Railway Vikas Samiti, told TOI, "In 2008-09, the then railway minister Lalu Prasad had allotted Rs 67 lakh for the survey of the Solapur to Tuljapur route via Aurangabad. The aim was to connect the three important destinations. However, owing to alleged political pressure, the railway authorities have not only changed the route and diverted it from Jalna but also excluded Aurangabad from it."

"We unwillingly accepted the change. But the latest reply by the railways has shocked us. They have replied stating that no such survey has been sanctioned by the railway board," Verma added.

Ajmal Khan, socialist and member of the Central Railways' Zonal Railway Users' Consumer Committee, said, "The city which is the tourism, educational, medical and industrial capital of the region is being ignored by the railway authorities. It is taking a direct toll on the region's development. We want the railways to include Aurangabad in the proposed survey of Solapur-Jalgaon railway route. In the meantime, the railway authorities have denied any such survey being ever sanctioned by the railway board. It is very serious."

Khan also threatened to approach the court against the railways for providing different replies to the same queries under RTI applications. The activists are also demanding a thorough probe into the matter.

In 2005-06, railway activists demand inclusion of Aurangabad in the Solapur-Jalgaon proposed rail route. They approach the then railway minister Lalu Prasad, who sanctions Rs 67 lakh for surveying the new route in the 2008-09 railway budget. The survey to include Tuljapur, Osmanabad, Beed, Gevrai, Paithan, Aurangabad, Ghrushneshwar and Ajanta.

On August 25, 2009 due to Election Code of conduct no major official programme was conducted and instead a Puja was observed in Paithan after granting of the survey funds.