Mysore Grahakara Parishat has written to the new MP Pratap Simha about the problems faced by railway users in Mysore. A summary of the letter is as follows:
To,
Pratap Simha,
We would like to draw your attention to very sorry state of affairs of South Western Railway services at Mysore. SWR has set up a committee called Divisional Railway Users Consultative Committee to resolve problems faced by the public but it has been of little use. The problems range from exploitative and inadequate parking lots, very unscientific and commuter unfriendly platforms, inadequate trains and dilapidated rakes to total lack of cleanliness in the compartments, unauthorized vendors on the trains peddling unhealthy and overpriced food items, beggars on the trains, unauthorised occupation of reserved seats, gambling in the compartments and eve teasing and the list is very long.
Mysore Grahakara Parishat has provided a common platform for the citizens and the concerned government departments to meet and solve consumer problems. We have organized such meetings for road transport, traffic, water supply, telephony and electricity supply just to name a few. Top officials from these departments have come to our meetings and interacted with the public. But, top officials of SWR either refuse to meet us or participate, or agree to participate and abstain at the last moment with some excuse or the other. Such behaviour indicates that they have no real desire to solve the problems and improve the situation.
We would like to impress upon you the fact that Mysore has not received the attention it deserves on railway issues. Bengaluru-Mysore line doubling and electrification have been limping along for years. Linkage with Satyamangalam-Coimbatore is in limbo. We only hope that you will try to find solution to these issues now that we have our own Railway Minister at the Centre.
MGP would like to meet you and and discuss the problems of the railway commuters of Mysore. We request you to give us a suitable time for such a meeting.
Chandraprakash, President