Tewari raises railway station work, govt says no fixed timeline can be given for completion
Speaking on the matter, Chandigarh MP Tewari expressed his disappointment, stating, 'It is unfortunate that rather than recognising the utter chaos, anarchy and mayhem that prevails at the railway station, the ministry's response avoids accountability. The answer gives no timeline for when the renovation will finally be over and fails to offer any solution to the persistent parking mess. In all, the reply betrays the total inefficiency of the Railway Ministry.'
Meanwhile, in its written reply, the ministry confirmed that Chandigarh Railway Station is being redeveloped under the ABS scheme with a sanctioned cost of Rs 436.29 crore. While structural works on the Panchkula and Chandigarh sides have been completed — including platform upgradation, foot overbridges, parking areas, and new building finishes — the ministry admitted that no definite completion date can be given due to numerous on-ground challenges.
These include statutory clearances (fire, heritage, airport), shifting of utilities (water, sewage, power, optical fibre), ongoing train operations, and speed restrictions due to nearby high-voltage lines. All these factors, the ministry claimed, are affecting progress, and thus no timeline can be committed at this stage.
The station's inclusion in the national ABS scheme is part of a broader plan to modernise 1,337 stations across the country, out of which work at 105 has already been completed. However, work at Chandigarh railway station is still not complete.
The ministry stated that routine inspections are being conducted and cleanliness is being maintained, but passengers and local residents continue to face overcrowding and inadequate amenities.
Chandigarh falls under Northern Railway, which has been allocated Rs 2,216 crore under Plan Head-53 for customer amenities for the financial year 2025–26, mentioned the ministry in its response to Tewari's question.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
26 minutes ago
- Business Standard
'Elections are choreographed': Rahul Gandhi's big claim against EC, BJP
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday alleged that the Election Commission is working with the BJP to manipulate election results. Presenting data from the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka, Gandhi claimed that "vote chori" (vote theft) had taken place on a large scale, calling it a "crime against the Constitution". During a media address at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi, Gandhi said the Congress had set up a team to investigate suspected irregularities and gathered 'concrete evidence of vote chori' over six months. He demanded access to machine-readable voter data from the past 10-15 years and CCTV footage from polling stations. "If the EC does not give us machine-readable data for the past 10-15 years and the CCTV footage, they are partaking in the crime," Rahul Gandhi said. Focus on Mahadevapura: Allegations of 100,000 fake votes Rahul Gandhi presented an analysis of voter data from the Bangalore Central Lok Sabha constituency, particularly the Mahadevapura Assembly segment. According to Gandhi, in the Lok Sabha constituency of Bangalore Central, the Congress polled 626,208 votes while BJP got 658,915 votes — a winning margin of 32,707 for the BJP. Despite Congress winning six out of seven Assembly segments in the constituency, Gandhi further pointed to a massive lead of over 114,000 votes for the BJP in Mahadevapura. This, he claimed, turned the seat in BJP's favour. 'Elections are being choreographed': Rahul Gandhi The Congress MP described the entire electoral process as being "staged". "Elections are choreographed... Our internal polling told us we would win 16 seats in Karnataka; we won nine," he said. The Congress focused on seven unexpected losses and zeroed in on Mahadevapura for a detailed analysis, he said. "We found 100,250 votes stolen. Stolen in five different ways. Duplicate voters, fake and invalid addresses, and bulk voters in a single address, on a building with 50-60 people living. But when we go there, there is no record of those people living there. One family living in that house," he added. Rahul Gandhi pointed to invalid photos and misuse of Form 6, which allows new voter registration, as methods used for vote tampering. He alleged that 100,250 votes were fraudulent, citing: • 11,965 duplicate voters • 40,009 voters with fake or invalid addresses • 10,452 bulk voters listed under single addresses • 4,132 voters with invalid photos • 33,692 voters registered using misused Form 6 for new voter applications Concerns over polling schedule and voter turnout Rahul Gandhi raised concerns about how elections are now held in multiple phases, unlike earlier when they were completed in a single day. "There was a time in India with no EVMs; people voted on one day. Now, UP has a different voting day, and Bihar has some other day. Voting goes on for a month. This made us suspicious," he said. He also flagged sudden changes in polling dates for Karnataka and Haryana as suspicious. Referring to the Maharashtra Assembly elections, Gandhi said the number of voters added to the rolls in five months exceeded those added in the last five years. "In Maharashtra and Haryana, we saw it right in front of our faces. We said publicly and told EC, more voters were added in five months than in five years in Maharashtra. More voters than the entire population of Maharashtra. Huge jump in voter turnout after 5 pm," he alleged. The Congress MP claimed there was a discrepancy between Lok Sabha and Assembly results, with 10 million new voters added at the state level, which altered the outcome. (With agency inputs)
India.com
26 minutes ago
- India.com
Who Is Fuelling Moscow's War Machine – India Or US? Finnish Think Tank Exposes Europe, West's Duplicity On Russian Oil
New Delhi: Finnish energy think tank has stirred diplomatic circles this week by naming names and laying out numbers that India has long hinted at. Since the beginning of the Ukraine war, European Union (EU) countries have contributed 23% of Russia's fossil fuel export earnings. And what is India's share? Only 13%. Still, it is New Delhi that continues to face condemnation. Helsinki-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) published its latest findings this week, drawing attention to what Indian officials describe as 'a glaring double standard'. The data show that despite loudly criticising India for purchasing discounted Russian oil, the West has continued, and even expanded, its own energy dealings with Moscow. Speaking anonymously, officials in New Delhi said the numbers only vindicate India's emphasis on ensuring for its citizens regular and affordable energy supplies. The timing of the report could not be more telling. On Wednesday (August 6), the United States announced a doubling of tariffs on Indian aluminium to 50%, citing India's alleged role in 'fuelling the Russian war machine'. Weeks earlier, the EU slapped sanctions on a private Indian refiner, Nayara Energy. But CREA's findings turn the focus elsewhere. The report says Russia has earned EUR 923 billion (Rs 92,300 crore) since its invasion of Ukraine began solely from fossil fuels. EUR 212 billion (Rs 21,200 crore) of that came from EU member states. India bought Russian energy worth EUR 121 billion (Rs 12,100 crore) in the same period. China topped the list with more than EUR 200 billion (Rs 20,000 crore) in purchases. More striking than who is buying is who is shipping. The CREA found that tankers linked to the G7+ nations, which pledged to restrict Russian oil flows, are now carrying over half of all Russian seaborne crude. In June 2025 alone, these tankers accounted for 56% of shipments, up from 36% in January. That is a sharp jump in six months. These are not smuggled operations. The use of Western-owned tankers implies full compliance with the so-called oil price cap. Implemented by the United States and the E.U., that mechanism allows Russian oil to flow, but only at set prices. The idea is to limit Kremlin revenues without sparking a fresh spike in global crude rates. India has consistently argued that its purchases serve this very goal. By stepping in as a buyer, it has helped stabilise world oil markets, contributing nearly 9% of global daily supply through Russian imports. Without that, Indian officials claim, energy prices could have spiraled out of control. And there is more. Despite an 8% increase in volume between the first and second quarters of 2025, Russia's fossil fuel revenues still dropped 18% year-on-year in second quarter. This marks the lowest quarterly revenue since the invasion began, the CREA report highlights. For Indian policymakers, the report brings public clarity to what they have been saying privately for months. They are not alone in engaging with Russia. In fact, they are far from the top of the list. So, as Washington and Brussels raise fingers, Indian officials are pointing to the numbers. And the numbers are now pointing back.
Time of India
26 minutes ago
- Time of India
CM Yogi honors entrepreneurs, scheme beneficiaries during Moradabad visit
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, during his recent visit to Moradabad, felicitated young entrepreneurs and beneficiaries of key government welfare schemes, reaffirming the government's commitment to inclusive development and self-reliance. In a heartwarming moment, CM Yogi received a Braille-script poem titled 'Mera Rajya, Pyara Rajya' from visually impaired student Kumari Usha and blessed her for her creative spirit and determination. Under the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme, the Chief Minister presented a demo cheque of Rs. 50 lakh to Swati Verma for promoting metal craftsmanship — a significant local industry in Moradabad. As part of the Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyami Vikas Abhiyan, CM Yogi distributed demo cheques to budding entrepreneurs: Rs. 25 lakh to Ms. Shubhra for a salon chain Rs. 5 lakh each to Manoj Kumar (online education), Yogendra Kumar (garment manufacturing), Himanshu Ghosh (aquarium making), Ankit Kumar Singh (tent house services), Lakshya Saini (cloth manufacturing), Kumari Sonam (cyber café), and Geeta Rani (boutique) In the housing sector, keys were handed over to Shannu Beg under PM Awas Yojana (Rural) and Mamta under Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana (Rural). Tablets were provided to Ankit and Shraddha under the Free Smartphone and Tablet Scheme to support digital empowerment among youth. A major boost was given to women's self-help groups, with a demo cheque of Rs. 7.89 crore handed over to the Rashtriya Gramin Ajeevika Mission. Additionally, Ravita was honored with a certificate recognizing her achievement as a Lakhpati Didi, a symbol of women's financial empowerment. CM Yogi's outreach highlighted the success of flagship schemes and their impact on entrepreneurship, housing, digital inclusion, and women-led growth.
