The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : No takers for new colony

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 17, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

No takers for new colony

P. Samuel Jonathan

Railway employees averse to moving into quarters

The colony is cut off from major parts of the city
It was completed in early 2007

— Photo: T. Vijaya Kumar

ISOLATED: The newly-built railway quarters at Nallapadu in Guntur.

GUNTUR: With gorgeous-looking houses nestled in the backdrop of an undulating rocky terrain far away from the madding crowd, the sprawling new railway colony at Nallpadu looks like a perfect getaway for the restless souls. So be it for the scores of officers, men and women and their families employed with the South Central Railway, Guntur division. But a reality check reveals that the colony replete with a magnificent Officers Club has been left to be a ghosts’ den neglected and unoccupied.

Not a single family moved into the sprawling colony, since it was thrown open three months ago. Worse, the colony, consisting of seven class 1 quarters and two apartment blocks housing 32 flats, was allowed to degenerate due to lack of any maintenance.

The only saving grace is that the Divisional Railway Manager and his deputy has been spending nights here, after a string of criticism.

Far off from city

Officers admit that the colony is secluded and far away, a good 5 km. from the comforts of the city.

Further, a hole is driven through their pay packet by crossing out their house rent allowance ranging between Rs.1,200 for a class IV employee to Rs.3,500 for the departmental heads, for not occupying the quarters.

“This is unfair. By constructing a colony far away from the city, the powers that be committed a mistake and by deducting the HRA they are putting scores of families at a loss,” rues a staffer posted in the colony.

The colony remains cut off from the major parts of the city and does not have facilities like hospital, school or even a shopping complex near by.

One has to tread a dust bowl of a road to traverse more than 5 km. from the DRM’s office at Pattabhipuaram to reach the colony. “Imagine the transport costs to send our children to schools and the plight of families, in case of any emergency,” complains another officer.

The colony was conceptualised in 2004 during the tenure of the then Divisional Railway Manager P.N. Shukla.

Foundation stone was laid by the then General Manager T. Stanley Babu in February 2004. The colony was completed in early 2007.

It had a dedicated transformer, internal power cables and a 24-hour water supply.

Officials optimistic

A sprawling Officers Club was built to provide entertainment to the officers.

However, senior railway officials say that the colony will soon be occupied.

“`We are making efforts to convince the staff to occupy the quarters,” says Divisional Railway Manager C.S. Chauhan.

The Officers’ Association has already submitted a memorandum to the SCR General Manager for revoking the order asking them to occupy the quarters.

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