Mailbag

Redesign Coaches

Sir,

Indian Railways should advise Integral Coach Factory to redesign coaches. In a situation where availability of berths/seats may not meet demand, category of coaches must be reduced to provide extra berths for waiting passengers, and in turn to increase earnings for Railways!

There may be just three types of air-conditioned coaches namely super-luxurious cabin-type first-class with increased 30 berths, 2-tier sleepers with increased 54 berths, and 75-seater chair-cars, abolishing 3-tier A/c sleepers because many-a-times there is breathing trouble in congested 3-tier A/c coaches. Bay-width of 2-tier A/c sleepers may be same as in non A/c 3-tier sleepers with reduced 72 berths (formerly 75 berths). This will provide 54 berths in 2-tier A/c sleepers instead of present just 46. However if 3-tier A/c sleepers are to be retained, their bay-width may be reduced for increased capacity of 72 berths. Moreover design of costliest first-class air-conditioned cabin-type coaches may be modified to provide 30 berths with 6 cabins of 4 berths each and 3 cabines of 2 berths each instead of present 18. Such increased capacity will allow Railways to reduce fares of these upper classes to avoid their empty-running because of reducing air-fares in competitive air-travel.

For non air-conditioned travel, there may be just two types of coaches, namely 3-tier sleeper coaches with 72 berths, and 90-seater sitting coaches. Design of 90-seater general coaches meant for long-distance travel should be changed to provide 3+2 bench system instead of present 4+1 arrangement with full-length luggage racks above the benches. Such an arrangement will give at least somewhat increased comfort in non-reserved general travel by several reasons. Extra passengers will be accommodated on both benches with capacity of 3 and 2, while presently one-seater bench cannot accommodate extra passenger. It will not be possible to misuse luggage-racks as sleepers, thus avoiding usual clashes amongst the passengers. Passengers will find the travel more comfortable and airy with maximum 3-seater bench between window and passage instead of presently 4-seater bench. Coaches will be better balanced with passengers better divided on both sides of the passage! Such a design is simply a modification of having full-length luggage racks over the sitting-benches in existing 90seater non A/c IInd class coaches meant for day-travel.

Yours etc...
Subhash Chandra Agrawal,
1775, Kucha Lattushah,
Dariba, Delhi-110006.

Stop unhealthy practice

Sir,

Misuse of costly government accommodations by making them memorials of departed leaders must be stopped to save exchequer from unnecessary heavy burden. There is no sense in spending huge public money to convert and maintain such memorials made by converting luxurious government accommodations of former leaders in their memorials. New Delhi was built as Indian capital with fixed official residences of highly posted persons including Prime Minister. Teen Murti Bhawan was an ideal official residence of Indian Prime Minister from various points like space, comfort, security and its proximity with Rashtrapati Bhawan, Sansad Bhawan etc. But a wrong emotional move was initiated by converting such an ideal place as Nehru memorial. Likewise some more official residence of former Prime Ministers, developed at high costs, were also made memorials. Family members of some other leaders forcibly converted official residences into memorials (like 6 Krishna Menon Marg) despite adverse Supreme Court rulings. This is a unhealthy practice which must be stopped.

With weak Union Governments, number of former Prime Ministers is on rise. It is high time that decision may be taken at highest level for not making any future memorial or 'Samadhi' of leaders in future. It is regretting and surprising that government did not take any action against illegal cremation of Smt. Lalita Shastri at official 'Samadhi' place (Vijay Ghat) of her husband late Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri, the former Prime Minister. Even now, government can vacate existing memorial buildings by creating small memorials at Samadhi' places of such leaders. For instance, more visitors will visit Gandhi Memorial if it is located in Rajghat premises itself! Further, state cremation may be given only to those leaders whose family members will donate eyes and other usable body-parts for needy ones.

Wastage of costly mandays on birth-dates of leaders must be prevented by celebrating birth-dates of leaders as extra work-day by extending working hours on such days by half or one hour, to pay real homage to ideals of such great leaders themselves reputed for their hard work thereby abolishing holidays like Gandhi Jayanti or Ambedkar Jayanti etc.

Yours etc...
Madhu Agrawal,
1775, Kucha Lattushah,
Dariba, Delhi-110006

Maintain Iqbal Park

Sir,

While travelling towards Srinagar airport, we see to our left written on a sign board ''Iqbal Park'' and on seeing its condition, one is compelled to think of the past history of Iqbal Park, when large public meetings/gatherings used to be held there. But today, we are stunned and hurt to see the condition of this park. Celebration of Dushehra in this Iqbal Park has become history. We remember, Dushehra festival was celebrated here by one and all without any discrimination. We wish those days to come at the earliest when again all brethren celebrate Dushehra in the Iqbal Park without any threat. Gone are the days, when we used to sit late in the evening during summer nights. Children as well as elders used to play football and other games there. But all this seems to have been buried under wild grass. Today, we can see nothing except heaps of garbage here and there. This is the place where great leaders of our nation have addressed the Kashmiris. We used to call this park as 'Hazuri Bagh'' but afterwards it was named on the name of Alam-e-Iqbal, one of the greatest personalities of India and lover of nature who has expressed it in his rhymes so beautifully and this is our respect for him that our Government cannot maintain this beautiful park which, in my opinion, is mandatory one to do, because all tourists whether from our own country or outside the country travel from that side and this is the first place which comes to their sight. If we cannot maintain the place which is in the heart of the city what attention we can give to other tourist places in Leh and Kargil.

I think it my social responsibility to bring it to the notice of the authorities and I am sure that earnest steps will be taken by the Government to restore the Iqbal Park to its pristine past glory.

Yours etc...
Surjeet Singh
Suthra Shahi
Srinagar.