Kaithal villagers pool money, renovate railway station

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Pabnawa (Kaithal) , July 16

Unwilling to take no for an answer from the railway authorities to provide infrastructure for their railway station, 2,500 households of this village have proved that teamwork can bring much needed development.

Villagers have renovated the station with Rs10.5 lakh pooled from every family. Six months on and after spending Rs10.5 lacs, 90 per cent of the work is complete. Work on a memorial for a village martyr is underway.

The residents have constructed a 750-foot long platform, urinals, installed a water cooler and outer walls with iron grills. The cemented floor at the entry point is under construction. Impressed, the railway authorities have also started constructing two sheds at the station besides providing interlock tiles for the platform.

“Residents have contributed Rs500 to Rs11,000 as per their paying capacity. Till date we have spent Rs10.5 lakh,” said Subedar Fateh Singh (retd), cashier of the Pabnawa Gram Jan Vikas samiti.

On September 2, 1965, Captain Jasmohinder Singh from village had attained martyrdom during Indo-Pak war and the government had announced a railway halt which was later upgraded to a C grade railway station. For the past many years, residents had been demanding better facilities at the station.

“In November, railway officials had during an inspection expressed their inability in providing the required facilities. But they asked us that if we could spend money on our own, then they could give permission for the renovation,” said Husan Singh, village sarpanch.

“We have decided to honour the panchayat and samiti members to motivate other panchayats of the district,” said KM Pandurang, DC.