The railways expects to begin work on building two escalators in the west within a month
Representation picture
After five years of negotiation and alleged poor coordination, the civic body has finally given the Western Railways the permission to build two escalators on the west side of Jogeshwari station, but with conditions.
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The bone of contention was a piece of land on Patel Estate Road in the west of Jogeshwari station, where the escalators in the west would land. The land belongs to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and the WR needed its approval.
BMC's K west ward, in its no objection certificate (a copy of which is with mid-day), pointed out that as the land belongs to the civic body, the railways must ensure that pedestrian movement is not disturbed. It also said that the railways will be responsible for all the expenses for the construction and repairs.
The BMC has given permission for the construction of two escalators — one in the middle and the other at Virar-end. The permission for the fourth escalator is still pending.
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"Four escalators had been sanctioned at Jogeshwari station. Three in the west and one in the east. The work on the east escalator is almost over. I am finally happy that this has happened and am thankful to mid-day for continuously highlighting the issue and keeping it in the limelight," Mansoor Umer Darvesh, secretary of the Fort-based Passenger and Traffic Relief Association and a resident of Goregaon West said.
Darvesh had been constantly visiting both the railways and the BMC offices, acting as a messenger, in the hope to get the work done soon. He had alleged that the big talk of co-ordination between the BMC and the railways was just a farce. Meanwhile, the WR expects to begin work on building the two escalators within a month.
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