Aaditya takes swipe at Shinde govt for delaying Digha railway station opening

Digha railway station is the first phase of the elevated corridor connecting Central and Harbour Railway lines with a budget allocation of ₹428 crore

Navi Mumbai: On the day when chief minister Eknath Shinde inspected big infrastructure projects across the city, including the Coastal Road, MTHL and Navi Mumbai International Airport, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray attacked the Shinde government for ignoring the plight of commuters who are impacted by the delay in opening of the Digha railway station.

Navi Mumbai, India - Jan. 7, 2024:Aditya Thackeray visited digha railway station at Airoli in Navi Mumbai, India, on Sunday, January 7, 2024. (Photo by Bachchan Kumar/ HT PHOTO) (HT PHOTO)

Aaditya joined a party protest at the railway station on Sunday evening where he along with protesters signed a campaign demanding to open the station soon.

The Digha railway station, once operational, will reduce congestion at Thane station and benefit lakhs of commuters from Kalyan, Dombivli, Badlapur, Karjat and the industrial belt of Navi Mumbai.

“Those sitting in the chair have no clue of how to run the government and they are only interested in ensuring ‘ache din’ for themselves, while the country struggles,” said Thackeray while addressing the gathering at the Digha railway station.

Aaditya said the government has no explanation for the delay in inaugurating the Digha station which is completely ready for the last eight months.

Aaditya along with Navi Mumbai party representatives and Thane MP Rajan Vichare heard the hardships faced by the commuters. Digha railway station is the first phase of the elevated corridor connecting Central and Harbour Railway lines with a budget allocation of ₹428 crore. The project was flagged off in 2016 and presently the infrastructure comprises two platforms of 270-metre length and a building meant for commercial purposes.

Thackeray came down heavily upon the government. “Article 370 was removed for the betterment of Kashmir, but going by the trend of this government, I strongly believe that there is a new article drafted which is meant only to ruin Maharashtra. It is not just projects that are not getting inaugurated but large-scale employment-generating businesses, which were earlier based in Maharashtra, are now asked to shift to Gujarat -- be it Tesla or even Mahanand. Even the cricket World Cup final was shifted to Gujarat. If it was played in Maharashtra, victory would certainly have been ours,” he said.

Thackeray said the construction work of the station was completed almost nine months ago, but there seem to be no plans to make it operational, including the Kharkopar-Uran railway station.

“It is really amusing to see that right from electricity to the maintenance work of the station is happening as per schedule, but the services continue to be shut for the public. The government seems to have forgotten that the station is built for the citizens,” said Thackeray. The ruling party was ridiculed for failing to attend to citizens’ needs. He stated of even willing to take ‘selfies’ at the railway station so as to awaken the railway ministry to get the station operational. “ The existing government may be answerable only to the centre but UBT Shiv Sena is answerable to Maharashtra residents and therefore I have decided to personally take up the project of getting this station operational,” added Aaditya.

The Shiv Sena Party was credited for prompting authorities to commission various infrastructure projects awaiting formal inauguration. “If it were not for the rallies undertaken by Shiv Sena, Navi Mumbai residents would have continued to be denied travel through the metro. For getting the Digha station operational, we will have to do the same,” said a Sena worker. Thane MP Rajan Vichare said an operational Digha railway station will provide relief to nearly eight lakh daily commuters.

“Presently to commute to Ambernath- Badlapur-Kalyan, commuters are compelled to take shuttle services from Thane. Over 10,000 signatures will be submitted to the Central government highlighting the hardships caused due to the delay in inaugurating the station, said Vichare.