New Delhi [India], September 8 : Member of the All India Congress Working Committee, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, on Sunday, wrote to Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, urging the provision of toilet facilities in nine EMU-MEMU trains operating between Sealdah and Lalgola in West Bengal.
"I do like to flag your attention to the tremendous inconveniences of the railway passengers in the Sealdah division who are being deprived of their basic needs of washroom (toilet) facilities while travelling the local trains, namely SEALDAH-LALGOLA, KOLKATA-LALGOLA, RANAGHAT-LALGOLA, covering 250 km at a stretch between the distance of Kolkata and Lalgola," the letter stated.
In his letter, Chowdhury highlighted the hardships faced by passengers, especially from backward districts like Murshidabad, calling the lack of toilet facilities on these trains an "egregious act of inhumanity" by the railway authorities.
"The Railways of India are recognised for discharging their noble services, which include social commitment since our independence. The district of Murshidabad is regarded as one of the backward districts in the country. Common people of the concerned districts always avail those nine local trains, including EMU or MEMU, bereft of toilet facilities and are taking the journey without knowing as to how the call of nature could be responded to. In a civilised society like India, when the government itself has been campaigning and conducting awareness programmes for Swachh Bharat," the letter read.
Chowdhury further wrote that it was inconsiderate not to provide "minimum amenities" to passengers who avail themselves of railway services with their hard-earned money.
"Do not you think that it is an egregious act of inhumanity being pursued by the august railway organisation, unmindful of the minimum amenities that are deserved to them (passengers) as they are availing your services at the cost of hard-earned pennies?" he added.
"I do see you as a sensitive Minister who could easily understand the grinding problem of those lacs of passengers and take the scientific measures given the human nature of the railway passengers," Chowdhury stated.