Even after a year of launching the development works under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, the station building facade remains as it was at the Subrahmanya Road Railway Station on January 6 in Nettana village, Dakshina Kannada district.  
| Photo Credit: ANIL KUMAR SASTRY

Notwithstanding being brought under the Prime Minister’s Gati-Shakti, the development of Subrahmanya Road Railway Station (SBHR) that caters to thousands of pilgrims visiting temple town Kukke Subrahmanya, which was inaugurated on August 6, 2023, has not even achieved 50% physical progress, regret general public and train patrons.

There was neither Gati (speed), nor Shakti (force) in the ₹23.73 crore project under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS), regretted Perasad K G Nettana, President of Subrahmanya Road Railway Balakedarara Samithi. Very few senior officials from South Western Railway’s Mysuru Division visited the station to inspect and hasten the work ever since it was launched virtually by Mr. Modi, he told The Hindu.

Located at Nettana in Kadaba taluk, about 12 km from Kukke Subrahmanya, SBHR predominantly caters to the pilgrims visiting Kukke Subrahmanya, Dharmasthala and Southadka. They travel by Bengaluru-Kannur-Bengaluru, Bengaluru-Karwar-Bengaluru, Bengaluru-Murdeshwar-Bengaluru, Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru Junction/ Karwar-Yeshwantpur and Vijayapura-Mangaluru Junction-Vijayapura Express trains every day.

Four stations

SBHR and Bantwal under SWR and Mangaluru Central and Mangaluru Junction under Southern Railway, were chosen for development under ABSS in February 2023. While Mr. Modi launched the ABSS works in August 2023, SWR began the work from September in SBHR and Bantwal.

The scope of work at SBHR included improving the station building facade maintaining the existing Subrahmanya Temple theme, improving passenger concourse, retiring rooms, dormitory, separate waiting halls for men and women passengers, platform shelters for PFs 1,2 and 3, foot over bridge, lift, escalators, concrete circulating area, welcome arch at the Uppinangady-Sburahmanya Main Road etc. The project was supposed to get completed in June 2024.

Snail’s pace

When The Hindu visited SBHR on January 6, no refurbishing work was seen to improve the station building facade. While the circulating area was concreted, it abruptly ended at the station approach road. New platform shelters were seen on PF 2 and 3 while old shelters continued to stay on PF 1. The FoB, the lift duct, waiting room building etc., were half completed.

Poor quality

Besides almost Nil work progress, the work executed was of poor quality, claimed Kuukke Shree Subrahmanya-Mangaluru Railway Commuters Forum Convener. “We made several complaints to the SWR General Manager and Mysuru Divisional Railway Manager about these, but in vein,” he said. Funds might get lapsed following the delay, he said.

Under progress, SWR

Mysuru Division’s Public Relations Officer Girish Dharmaraj Kalagonda told The Hindu that the project was now being handled by the Gati Shakti unit and said the work was under progress.

There could be some delay owing to technicalities involving bidding and tender, but 48% physical and 32% financial progress has been achieved so far. The upgradation work will be completed by March 2025 and the FoB by April, he said adding an average of 27 people work on the project every day.