Soldiers fixing rly fob to get rented flats

Mumbai: The Western Railway (WR) will provide living quarters on rental basis at Elphinstone Road to more 50 army personnel who are involved in construction work of additional entry and exit points near the Parel-Elphinstone Road foot over bridge (FoB). In a stampede on September 29, 23 lives were lost on a Parel-Elphinstone Road FoB.

The railways ministry has given a deadline of January 31 to the Army to complete the construction work. The request for the living quarters was made by the Army to the WR. Officials have said that the railways is likely to give them housing in one of the WR’s quarters near Elphinstone station.

An official said, “The Army’s contribution is coming at a time when we are already overburdened and on a deadline to finish nearly 30 foot over bridges across Mumbai, so we do appreciate them chipping in and are therefore gladly giving them the accommodations.”

Along with the Elphinstone Road bridge, the Army is already working on other bridges like the Currey Road and Ambivli which have been declared critical by the Central Railways (CR) after all the FOBs were reviewed.

The Army has also asked the Central Railway (CR) for passes in a co-ordination |meeting on Friday held at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT). The Army has said that the Ambivli bridge will also be complete within the January 31 deadline.