Passengers suffer due to deplorable toilet conditions at old Tinsukia station

A CORRESPONDENT

NAZIRA: Passengers at the old Tinsukia railway station are facing severe hardships due to the deplorable condition of toilet facilities, highlighting alleged negligence by the Railway authorities. Despite being one of the oldest and busiest railway stations in Upper Assam under the Northeast Frontier Railway, the station lacks usable and hygienic toilet facilities for daily commuters.

Thousands of passengers pass through the old Tinsukia station every day. Although two toilets, meant separately for men and women, exist, they remain unusable due to the absence of proper cleaning, maintenance, and repairs. As a result, passengers are forced to suffer and, in some cases, use these unusable facilities out of sheer helplessness.

While the Railway Department reportedly earns lakhs of rupees annually from passengers in this region, the failure to provide even basic amenities at such an old and important station has been termed extremely unfortunate. The non-functional toilets at the station clearly reflect the apathy and inaction of the Railway authorities, raising serious questions about their attitude toward passengers in the Northeast.

On January 5, at around 4 pm, the pitiable condition of the unusable toilets was observed, and an attempt was made to lodge a complaint with the Station Master. However, the Station Master was not present on duty at the time, making it impossible to submit the complaint. Moreover, although a complaint book is supposed to be available at the station, none could be found despite repeated inquiries.

At a time when allegations of discrimination and neglect toward Assam and the Northeast by the Railway Department are frequently raised, the situation at the old Tinsukia railway station further strengthens such claims. Concerned passengers and citizens have urged the Railway authorities to take immediate steps to address these basic issues.

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