Gaya: With the redevelopment of Gaya railway station underway, state assembly speaker Prem Kumar and district magistrate Shashank Shubhankar on Saturday directed railway officials to remove unused construction materials and equipment from passenger movement areas to ensure safe and hassle-free movement of pilgrims during the upcoming Pitripaksh Mela.The two reviewed preparations for the annual event, scheduled from Sept 25 to Oct 10, during a meeting with senior railway officials. Senior superintendent of police Sushil Kumar was also present.According to railway officials, Gaya railway station currently handles 40,000-50,000 passengers daily. During last year’s Pitripaksh Mela, the daily footfall had surged to 80,000-90,000 passengers.Prem Kumar directed railway officials to ensure uninterrupted drinking water supply, clean toilets and other essential facilities on all platforms for the large number of pilgrims expected from across the country and abroad. He also stressed the need for prominent display of train schedules, digital display boards and multilingual signages to help passengers navigate the station with ease.Emphasising passenger safety amid the ongoing redevelopment work, the DM directed railway officials to inspect and repair all existing CCTV cameras and install additional high-resolution cameras for effective crowd monitoring during the mela. He also asked authorities to deploy adequate Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel for crowd management and passenger safety, adding that the district administration would provide additional police personnel if required.Shubhankar further instructed officials to ensure adequate lighting across the station premises, including dark spots, and to make sufficient arrangements for parking, wheelchairs, ambulances and medical teams equipped with essential medicines.He also directed authorities to display fare charts on all autos and e-rickshaws operating around the station and ensure that fire safety, electrical systems and other emergency infrastructure remain fully functional throughout the mela period.
