NAVI MUMBAI: The naming of the station as Dighe instead of Digha in Navi Mumbai has sparked off a controversy and Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s Navi Mumbai unit has jumped into it.
“ I am the seventh generation residing in this node which is named after the Digha Baba temple situated within Sathe Nagar. It is only logical that the station which is meant to cater to the residents of Digha be given this name as against Dighe. We don’t know why the sudden name change and what significance it has for the village which is situated in Navi Mumbai,” said a resident and social activist Bhushan Agiwale.
The resident also questioned the logic of Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation(NMMC) spending crores in installing the entry gate into the village in the name of Digha. “ If the railway station is named Dighe then I think NMMC has erred in giving us the entry gate named Digha village,” he added.
The much awaited project – Digha railway station – on Friday witnessed major drama after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers gathered in the station premise to voice their dissent against the station name and the delay in making it operational.
The Navi Mumbai party unit questioned the need to have a new name for the station. “ This station between Airoli and Thane is essentially meant to cater to the residents of Digha. It was but natural that the station be named after the area instead it has been named as Dighe which is totally different and it is not acceptable,” said the vice-president, Navi Mumbai, Nilesh Bankhele.
Questions were also raised about the reason for not halting the train in spite of the infrastructure being ready. “ It’s going to be many months since the building is ready but still trains don’t halt on this platform. Daily commuters even now have to get down at Airoli and then arrange for alternate transportation to reach Digha,” said Bankhele.
Digha railway station is the first phase of the elevated corridor connecting central and harbor railway lines with a budget allocation of ₹428 crore. The project was flagged off 2016 and presently the infrastructure comprises 270 meter long two platforms and building meant for commercial purposes. The MNS party earlier visited the Thane railway station to give written representation of the matter but were asked to address the issue with central railways instead.
The chief public relation officer , central railway Shivraj Manaspure said of they will raise the grievance with the state department. “ Names of the railway station are advised by the state therefore the issues voiced will be informed to the concerned department. With regard to the delay in making the complex operational there are still some allied works pending,” he said.
