Bansal to take chopper after flagging off local

Following many irksome delays of the much-awaited Virar-Dahanu local train services, Union Railway Minster Pawan Kumar Bansal will finally arrive in Mumbai on April 16 to flag off the first local from Dahanu. The minister, who is slated to attend an event at NCPA in south Mumbai, has employed the services of a helicopter to commute from Dahanu. The decision seems to have piqued railway officials, as the minister has chosen a chopper over "his own mode of transport."

Said an official from the Western Railway, "We are a bit upset that we won't be able to travel with the minister, as he has decided to fly by helicopter in the city instead of taking the local he will flag off. We had been waiting for him for long so we could share our issues with him. Ministers don't have time to travel by train. " Railway officials said they had to delay the inauguration by 16 days as the minister wanted to do it himself. The inauguration coincides with the Railway Week, which will be marked by a grand event to be attended by Bansal and top railway officials.