No one can blame the authorities for not providing utilities for public use. They have planned them, spent taxpayers’ money to build them, but now they are as under-utilized as if their coming up do not make any difference at all to the people.
Yesterday, The Telegraph in its Sunday edition presented 7 least utilized public facilities in the city. Here are 5 of them:
Footbridges
Though a dozen footbridges dot the city at important junctions like Ballygunge, Dhakuria, Darga Road (No.4 Bridge), Sealdah, Rajabazar and two each at Ultadanga and Lake Town, pedestrians hardly use them, preferring instead to court danger by crossing the crowded streets.
CSTC Buses
The ‘international’ bus stand at Karunamoyee, an extreme end of Salt Lake city, wears a desolate look except when half-filled buses leave for Dhaka every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The picture of the bus stand gives a fitting impression of moribund condition of CSTC, the Calcutta State Transport Corporation, a state-controlled body.
According to reports, only about 55% of the corporation’s 1159-strong fleet strength is used. The remaining, including those that are old and infirm just don’t ply.
New Market Parkomat
Parkomat, the costly Rs.32-crore state-of-the-art parking plaza inaugurated by none other than the CM on April 20, has turned into a big joke. Targeted for catering to 1200 cars daily, it serves hardly 40 a day, a ridiculous 97% non-utilization of capacity.
Kolkata Police’s Booths
They are meant for helping people on the road, but few approach the booths. Kolkata Police maintains the very presence of the booths prevents crime in the vicinity. Perhaps. But there is no doubt that they continue to remain under-utilized.
Circular Railway Extension
The Circular railway service from Dum Dum Airport to Dum Dum Metro station is used by not more than 10 passengers in a day either way. It’s so absurd that it defies any logic.
Having stayed in Chennai for a long time, I often used the crowded suburban train service from Egmore to Tirusulam and back while flying off the city and back. Reason therefore for me to feel upbeat when the Dum Dum link debuted.
But that’s not to be. See my post, Missing rail link.
What do you think typically ail the facilities? Where does the disease lie? There is a good cause to feel skeptical, to feel let down by the authorities, though the truth is the people just do not care.
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