Quader detects anomalies at Feni station
Communications and Railway Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday blasted the authorities at Feni Rail Station for mismanagement and irregularities.
In a sudden visit around 9:30pm, the minister also ordered stand release of an estate department staff since the latter was not present at work. He also found the weighing machine at the goods booking office to be dysfunctional.
Feni Mayor Nizam Uddin Hazari and senior railway officials of Chittagong zone accompanied Quader, who took the additional charge of the railway ministry on Wednesday after Suranjit Sengupta resigned amid criticism over a Tk 70 lakh cash haul scandal.
Quader expressed his frustration stepping into several offices at the station and seeing the surrounding environment. The phone wire at the assistant station master's room was found disconnected.
He was also not given any answer to who was given lease of the huge railway pond. Within Monday, the minister asked officials to provide list of the railway's property and who were residing at the quarters.
Passengers at the station complained to the minister that there had been no improvement in the intercity trains' schedule. Even in his presence, Chittagong-bound Mohanagar Godhuly reached the station an hour beyond schedule.
Quader told journalists the station officials had received information of his arrival beforehand and tried to showcase the station to be neat and clean. “But they are fresh only in their outlook, while their inside is dark [dirty]. This must be evaded,” Quader said.
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