Is the common man suffering amid Maharashtra govt and Railways war?

After the increased friction over the resumption of suburban railway services for all commuters the state government and the railways are likely to meet next week to ease the tensionThe latest tussle began after the suburban railways said that the state has to develop solutions to streamline crowds and that it can only carry about 275 per cent or 22 lakh passengers at full capacity instead of the usual 80 lakh amid COVID19 protocolsHowever before any solution is found the government is expected to strongly lodge its displeasure over the alleged leaking of the letters it sent to the railwaysThe state governments letter on Wednesday was confidential and was handdelivered to the railways The letter proposed muchneeded relief for the people Like previous letters this letter was also leaked to the media said a senior official from the states disaster management mechanismTo allow trains for all commuters the state government had proposed six slots including hourly ladies special trains As per the proposed schedule from first local in the morning till 730 am any person with a valid ticket or pass can travel From 8 am to 1030 am only those in essential services can take the local From 11 am to 430 pm anybody with a valid ticket or pass can take the train Essential workers can again avail the services from 5 to 730 pm The services can again be availed by anyone from 8 pm till the last trainThe railways responded to the state on Thursday rejecting the states proposal on technical grounds and COVID19 protocol State government officials have not found the railways response amusing Railways did it when we allowed women to travel without QR codes during specific time slots They asked us for a solution and dataDid we write back to them No we did not because the railways have it all and can implement every plan if the officials are willing said another senior bureaucrat in the state government He said the railway officials didnt even remember the meetings with state officials during which the date for allowing women commuters on trains was decidedPolice bandobast seen at Borivli railway station on the day all women were allowed on local trains PICSATEJ SHINDEWithout mentioning a recent incident when the Western Railway had to change the unpleasant tone of a letter it sent to the state government the state bureaucrat said the government was consistent in its tone and content while writing to the railways We will have the same approach while dealing with this problem also Were waiting for our minister to come to Mumbai and issue instructions regarding having a meeting with the railways the bureaucrat addedWhat railways saysRailway officials from both CR and WR refused to comment on the accusations and get into a controversy They said that they would require the support of the state machinery to manage and streamline crowds Once trains open it will be important to stagger crowds The Maharashtra government should quickly decide on technological solutions to stagger the rush an official saidWhat commuters sayIt is the common man who is suffering amid the war between railways and state The Maharashtra government should implement staggered office timings to reduce the crowd in trains This will solve overcrowding in local trains permanently The lockdown could be a blessing for Mumbaikars if such a mechanism is implemented said Himanshu Vartak who is the consultative committee member for Palghar stationInputs by Rajendra B AklekarKeep scrolling to read more newsCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news