Gate not built even after 7 years of appointment of gatemen
Bagatipara (Natore) Correspondent
There have been gatemen for seven years, but no gate or duty house for them. Due to the lack of a duty house, gatemen Saiful Islam (30) and Afsar Uddin Sohag (32) performing duty under a tree at a level crossing in the Thengamara Railgate area of Bagatipara Sadar Union in Natore for 7 years.
According to gateman sources, in 2019, three gatemen Saiful, Afsar and Riazul Islam joined the Thengamara Level Crossing of Bagatipara Sadar Union from Abdulpur in Natore towards Parbatipur as gatemen by following all the rules and regulations through the project. But even after seven years of appointment, the gate and their duty house have not been built. They have been working hard for 7 years, getting wet in the cold, sun, storm and rain due to the lack of a gate and their duty house. Initially, three people were on duty, but now two people have to do the duty of three people. One of them also left his job about two years ago due to the lack of any facilities. Initially, three people were on duty for 8 hours, but now two of them have to do the duty for 12 hours. But due to the lack of a gate and duty house, the two gatemen working at that railway gate are constantly facing problems in performing their duties.
It is learnt that there are five level crossings in the Bagatipara section from Abdulpur towards Parbatipur. Out of these, the Malanchi level crossing already had a gateman, gate and their living quarters. And there was no gateman at the remaining four. About 9 years ago, four people including a newlywed were killed in an accident in which a train hit a van while crossing the Yasinpur railway gate. Then in 2018, gatemen were appointed at the Swarooppur, Yasinpur and Barapukuria rail gates, along with the construction of gates and their living quarters. But although three gatemen were appointed at the Thengamara rail gate, the gates and their living quarters were not constructed. Therefore, Riazul Islam was forced to quit his job 2 years ago. It is also known that since there is no gate arrangement at that level crossing, the gatemen have to face difficulties in stopping people and vehicles moving on the road when the train arrives. Apart from this, they have to suffer while performing their duty in cold, sun, storm and night.
Gateman Saiful Islam said that he has been on duty for seven years. Senior officials have been informed about this gate many times, but no work has been done. Here, one has to take various risks and endure various hardships. One has to endure different kinds of hardships in winter and summer. In this scorching heat of summer, there is no provision for sitting in the rain. Either the tea stall next door or the tree house. He has been doing his duty like this for seven years. Even after his appointment, the job has not been nationalized in seven years. He is still working at the same salary he joined the job seven years ago. One of them has also left the job because there are no other benefits apart from salary. They live in a rented house next to the market, and since one of the three people left, they have to work extra hours on duty. As a result, they have to face more inconvenience. Therefore, he quickly demanded a gate and duty house.
On the spot, it was found that there is a market on the side of the level crossing. There is a community clinic, a primary school, and a higher secondary school near the market. School students have to cross this level crossing every day. Moreover, they have to cross at the risk of other vehicles and local residents. Although a bamboo platform was built for the gatemen to sit on with the help of the local residents, it collapsed a long time ago. The tea stall and the tree-lined street next to the level crossing are their duty stations.
Kamrul Islam (45), a tea seller in the Thengamara market next to the level crossing, said that gatemen have been appointed here for about 7 years. But no duty station has been set up for the gate and gatemen here. The gatemen work hard in storms and rains. Since the gatemen do not arrive on time to do daily necessities including eating, drinking, bathing, they often have to get into arguments with pedestrians. Thinking about the problems of the local residents and the gatemen, he demanded the construction of a gate and duty house here.
Achifur Rahman (25), a van driver in the area, said that they often face problems due to the lack of a gate and duty house. Many times, when the gatemen run to come and go, the gatemen and the passengers on the road get into arguments. Trains run on this railway line every half an hour to an hour. They have to be here almost all the time. It does not take long for an accident to happen, so a gate and duty house are very important here.
Western Railway GM Abdul Awal Bhuiyan said that he was not aware of the matter. He will look into it.
