Guddu Rangeela an entertaining ....Page 4 SUNDAY, JULY 5, 2015 INTERNET EDITION : www.dailyexcelsior.com/magazine Shrine of Koti-tirtha...... Page 3 SPRUCE UP JAMMU RLY STATION

O P Sharma Jammu Tawi railway station is a major station for visitors, pil- grims and tourists arriving from all parts of the country. It is con- nected with all the major cities by rail links and many trains arrive and depart from here as well. Located in the Winter Capital of the J&K State, Jammu, which is also known as City of Temples, this premier station was inaugu- rated on October 2 , 1975 (Gandhi Jayanti Day) by then Railway Minister T A Pai in presence of J&K Chief Minister Syed Mir Qasim, Dr. Karan Singh at a well attended function. This Jammu station, code named as JAT, is well connected to all the major Indian cities and will be linked to the Kashmir valley. The Himsagar Express , second longest running train in terms of time and distance, goes from here to Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu in 70 hours. Presently, it has three platforms and seven tracks meant for the lakhs of passengers. Though it is one of the biggest railway sta- tion in Jammu and Kashmir but it lacks a number of facilities and services. A number of trains connect J&K State with the rest of the country and with passage of time more and more trains will origi- nate, arrive and depart to meet the rush of passengers. This 40-year young station is rendering good services but still lag behind in proper upkeep, better crowd management, upgraded services and some basic necessary amenities. The overall picture of cleanliness is still not up to the mark despite the swacch Bharat Abhiyan recently launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and promised by the Railway Minister Suresh Prab- hu. At some places, garbage lies on the platforms due to insufficient number of dustbins and skeleton sanitary staff. There is need for more toilet facilities, especially for the ladies. Railway authorities must pay their foremost atten- tion to this task of keeping this station always neat and clean as it presents the first impression to the pilgrims and tourists. There is no parking lots near the platforms as these exist at Railway Station, Hoogli-Kolkata for the facility of passengers. Though VVIPs cars are taken right up to the platform while the common men have to keep their vehicles in the highly paid parking place. Of course, adequate bandobast (arrangements) have to be put in place for ensur- Railway passengers waiting at Railway platform for train arrival. Excelsior/Rakesh ing security and safety of the travelling public. The passengers have to climb up stairs, which is all the more difficult for It may be noted that at Katra Railway station, the ground floor has esca- plex , should be developed as a model centre with presentable looks having elderly and disabled persons and so escalators like the ones installed at Rail- lators, lifts, current reservation, second class booking, train enquiry section, all facilities and efficient services by the Railway staff. Stringent steps should way Stations, Mumbai and New Delhi and few other metro cities. The reser- pilgrim guide, tourist assistance, VIP lounge, a fully air-conditioned hotel with be taken for safety as also all sorts of cheating, thefts and over-charging by vation ticket booking centre needs much innovations and improvements for a shopping lounge, multi-cuisine restaurant, cloak room, waiting hall, a book shopkeepers and transporters, he emphasised . the convenience of the Aam Aadami . Long queues have to be cut to the min- stall, tea stall, toilet blocks, and catering area. The first floor accommodates A University student Poonam Malhotra, opined that work at reservation imum by improving the working at the booking windows. 8 retiring rooms and a cafeteria. A huge parking place has also been construct- counters need to be streamlined and made more efficient . This service for It will be a good idea to install a number of Automatic Ticket Vending ed to accommodate cars and passenger buses. the common travelers is of utmost importance next to cleanliness, basic ameni- Machines(ATVMs) so that passengers get this efficient service as well. It is all A 20-year Prospective Plan for Jammu Railway Station must be drawn up ties fair dealings, safety and due courtesy. the more essential in view of the heavy rush of passengers, especially during by the Railway authorities keeping in view the future needs and requirements. There existed an old station near Bikram Chowk in the city, which catered the peak season. The number of boards indicating arrival and departure of With the completion of the railway network to Kashmir valley, Rajouri- Poonch to the only 43 km rail-link between Jammu-Sialkot prior to 1947, but aban- various trains must be prominently displayed in this Railway Station premis- and Doda districts the expansion and modernization of this station is need- doned after Partition and Sialkot is now in Pakistan,. The old Jammu station es. Why not install a machine to extend the facility of PNR number inquiry ed. There is scope for construction of more platforms and tracks with the dou- was built in around 1897 but was abandoned in 1947 and entire Jammu and about the status of the tickets or arrival and departure timings of various trains. bling lining of Jalandar-Jammu route and many other future requirements. Kashmir went out of the railway map of India. The railway link between this This will add to the convenience and facility of the passengers and at the same This writer had interaction with a cross-section of passengers, stallwalas, State and rest of the country was at Pathankot (Punjab) till Jammu Station time cope with the rush on the Inquiry Counter. The inquiry centre at the Rail- shopkeepers and many others to know about the facilities and other aspects came up when the Indian Railways laid the Pathankot - Jammu Broad Gauge way Station must be equipped with modern gadgets to facilitate the passen- of Jammu Railway Station. line. gers to know about the information desired by them. Do deploy more expe- Ayiush Tripathi, a pilgrim to Vaishnodevi shrine express the opinion Ashwani Kumar Station Master assured of proper up-keep, order and rienced and efficient staff to provide quick and regular services. that at Jammu station there must be some efficient system at booking coun- efficient services at this important station. He talked of the fast growing trav- There are several stalls in the concourse and on the suburban platforms ters, transport arrangements and better order on the platforms. He, how- eling public and efforts by all the Railways workers to build infrastructure and serving snacks, chips, bottled water and cold drinks. There are book stalls on ever pleaded for keeping the platform neat and clean. provide all sorts of facilities for the convenience to the travelling public. the platforms selling newspapers and other reading material. Train timetables Shruti Jain, a tourist from Maharashtra, advocated that Jammu Railway Answering a question, he said the complaints are attended to promptly and are also available at the book stalls. Restrooms at the platform must be spruced Station should be upgraded as a model and Bullet Trains should be intro- suggestions taken note of for the ongoing process of bettering the Rail serv- up for the passengers. duced at least between Delhi and Jammu. She also demanded various tourists ices comfortable, safe and speedy. The modern railway station at Katra for pilgrims to the holy Vaishnodevi circuits in this State with un-matching natural charms, famous pilgrim places The Jammu Railway Station that is now completing 40 years of service shrine, which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July and heritage sites. has made much progress but it has still miles to go in serving better the trav- 4 last year, is an example and model for Jammu station to pick up.. The Jam- Arun Gupta, a Jammuite at the platform lamented that Jammu Railway elling public. It has to meet the challenge of making available best possible mu station has still not lost its importance and end-use because of its utility Station is losing its importance and adversely affecting business activities. services across the country. and services. Abhinav Rathore stressed that the entire Jammu Railway Station com- (Starline Syndicate Service) Natnusa reels under abject poverty

A rare pucca house in Natnusa village on street road that remained unrepaired and kucha Kucha unimproved, unrepaired roads in Natnusa Dry grass and fodder stocked for winter in shed under tin slope roof in Natnusa for the past 20-25 years most of them (90%) deserve to be in BPL list or included under 'Antodya Ann get raw material for making brooms from Kandi area near river. Laborers have Dr Mohinder Kumar Yojna' (AAY). Widespread poverty is visible from kutcha houses and shabbi- also arrived. Beggars from other states (particularly southern states) could be In Kashmir valley city looks not much different from village in terms of basic ness of living. Households are so unaware that more than 300-400 youth do seen creating nuisance on traffic lights, city square and roadsides in Kupwara amenities. The resemblance is most striking between Kupwara -border city, not have MNREGA Job Cards. Some are unaware about MNREGA; some did town. and Natnusa -big village. Natnusa is bifurcated into Natnusa-A and Natnusa- not apply for Job Card (though wanted jobs); and some did not get Job Cards. Floods occur though not so common. Ten years ago "Pohru" nallah faced B. The village is located in Kupwara block at distance of 15 km from Kupwara Those who got and are Job Card holders find job for not more than 10-20 days flood due to which 300 houses in Natnusa were totally damaged. In rainy sea- City. It is connected with surrounding seven villages. It is a strange ensemble per year vis-à-vis 100 days of guaranteed work as per norm under the Act. In son, Natnusa "Bahawat nallah" starts overflowing. When both nallahs (Pohru of prosperity and poverty. The village reflects antithetical coexisting tenden- absence of MNREGA facility made accessible to them, they are forced to work and Natnusa) start overflowing they create havoc. Villagers are critical of offi- cies of development and backwardness, abundance and dearth, richness and at private construction sites as casual laborers, getting wages not more than cial obstacles and insensitivity in the district and block offices. They talk about raggedness, wealth and wretchedness, plenty and scarcity -typical "center- corruption in delivery of service. People are not aware about ITI Kupwara and periphery" development model: Widespread poverty at periphery and limited ITI Handwara. Only three-four youth from Natnusa have joined courses for economic prosperity at center point. The first characteristic feature one wit- VILLAGE WEEKLY industrial training in ITI. There is no veterinary center in Natnusa though vil- nesses at first glance by interacting with villagers is that "it is the common land lage has 600 cows and 1800 sheep-goats. Villagers want that Patwari office that has saved village". Survival would be difficult "if villagers do not use com- Rs.150/- per day. In case, they do not happen to get work, they go to bed hun- which is a critical Village Institution should be set up in village; it is crucial in mon land adjoining private agricultural land for family subsistence." gry. Even apple orchard owners are poor growers hard-pressed under the matters of land, ration card, KCC, etc. Cooperative society of village became Natnusa village has 10 Mohallas (wards), of which Ward No. 1, 2 and 3 yoke of advance cash taken from Pre-Harvest Contractors and Commission defunct 17 years ago due to militancy. It is well known fact that throughout the (Avatkulla) are backward; Ward No. 3 (Avatkulla) is most backward. All 90 Agents of wholesale fruit markets of Srinagar, Delhi, etc. country normal negative politics has weakened the cooperative structure; mil- households of Avatkulla ward are landless and BPL. Though landlessness Natnusa has 1000 number of youth. Of these, 500 youth migrate to Srina- itant politics has gone a step further -credit cooperatives and marketing coop- without economic activity is bound to render a household BPL, ownership of gar, Delhi and cities of other States in winter season in search of jobs, labor, eratives in J&K were confused with state departments/ institutions, hence land too is not guarantee for becoming Above Poverty Line (APL). Ownership factory work, etc. Ironically "Bihari" labor and other states' labor in thousands hijacked and destroyed. Borrowers who took loan from cooperative societies of land has mixed relationship with poverty and BPL status. Land owning farm- of number has migrated to Kupwara district in search of work, as wage-labor, considered it as a golden opportunity not to repay loans. Those who had repaid ers can be BPL or APL, depending upon other factors. In Natnusa landless selling goods, as broom makers, petty job doers, beggars (from Southern parts fully felt dissuaded and discontinued their membership of cooperatives. households are BPL. Most of the land-owning households too are poor. Avakul- of country), etc. Some of them (100-150) are working in/around Natnusa which Threats from militants dealt last blow to the existence of once vibrant cooper- la ward is totally dependent on wage-labor. In fact, all 575 households living is 15 km from Kupwara city. A large number of broom makers from Rajasthan ative structures. Natnusa was also affected. in 10 wards are notified Other Backward Class (OBC). According to Sarpanch, and neighboring region have put up tents on outskirts of Kupwara city. They (Contd on page 3 )