PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Haldwani
Although the Purnagiri Temple, a revered Shakti Peeth-nestled on the lap of Annapurna peak in Tanakpur of Champawat district- draws thousands of devotees from several states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab and even Nepal, particularly during the Maa Purnagiri mela, the Tanakpur railway station through which they travel remains uncared for with scarce amenities. This fact is all the more glaring now as the number of devotees has seen a huge spike. As per the railway records, over 15, 000 people arrived at the station on way to the shrine on a single day-May 25.
The Railway officials said that the figure of people travelling through this station has broken all previous records. “There are a number of trains travelling through this station and now the two Mela Specials have been added to them to manage the surging crowd of devotees. But the amenities we expect at this station are woefully scarce. The Railways should sit up and improve things,” said a devotee in a despairing tone.
Notably, aside from Doon Jan Shatabdi, three pairs of Tanakpur – Pilibhit Passengers, Bareilly – Tanakpur DEMU Special and Tanakpur – Delhi run among others.
Asked to recount which amenities they expect most at the station, another passenger on way to the shrine said that it was free public lavatories. “There are two modern use and pay washrooms along three platforms. It means we have to pay to use them. But we, hailing from the rural areas, cannot afford to pay; we are not financially strong. We come here to offer puja to the Mother. It involves some expenses. So we avoid spending more to use these pay toilets,” he added.
The locals echo this view and say that the Railway authorities should set up free public washrooms. They also cite the fact that the construction work of a free public toilet has been stopped on the order of a senior Railway officer during his inspection of the station on May 29. “This station is not just for the devotees. It is used for other purposes too by people of a vast region encompassing Champawat and Pithoragarh among other mountainous regions. The traders, army personnel and tourists use this station in large numbers daily. So this station special attention,” said an aggrieved local.
