Insta
VVIP Not Needed? Railways Gets Ordinary Citizens To Inaugurate Railway Bridges In Mumbai
Swarajya Staff
Feb 27, 2018, 04:39 PM | Updated 04:39 PM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Ditching the popular culture of having officials and politicians inaugurate projects, the Western Railways (WR) and Central Railways (CR) have decided to rope in the aam aadmi to throw open foot-over-bridges (FoBs) on the Mumbai Suburban Railway.
Three FoBs were thrown open simultaneously at 3.30 pm at Kalyan and Currey Road on the Central line and Elphinstone Road on the Western line. While Union Minister for Railways Piyush Goyal, Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis and Minister of State for Defence Dr Subhash Bhamre were present at Elphinstone Road, they took a backseat, reports Mumbai Mirror.
Flower vendors use the Elphinstone FoB due to the presence of a flower market to the west. WR decided that a flower vendor would inaugurate the bridge that was built after a stampede last year killed 23 people. Among the victims was the son of a flower seller.
The Currey Road FoB was thrown open by five dabbawalas aged between 48 and 70. Much like the suburban rail, dabbawalas have become a symbol of the city over the years.
The Ambivali FoB at Kalyan was thrown open by women passengers whose identities CR did not disclose till the last moment.
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Introducing ElectionsHQ + 50 Ground Reports Project
The 2024 elections might seem easy to guess, but there are some important questions that shouldn't be missed.
Do freebies still sway voters? Do people prioritise infrastructure when voting? How will Punjab vote?
The answers to these questions provide great insights into where we, as a country, are headed in the years to come.
Swarajya is starting a project with an aim to do 50 solid ground stories and a smart commentary service on WhatsApp, a one-of-a-kind. We'd love your support during this election season.
Click below to contribute.
