Hills shut, but not holiday zeal
Posted by barunroy on June 12, 2008
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Siliguri, June 11: A special train to Calcutta for tourists leaving the hills left half empty last night, allegedly because of the railway’s failure to communicate its schedule properly and also because many did not want to end their vacation in a hurry.
The senior area manager of the Northeast Frontier Railway here said the decision to run the special train was conveyed to him after 1pm yesterday. “By 2.30pm, we were making announcements at New Jalpaiguri and Siliguri Junction that a special train would leave at 10pm,” S. Sarvariya said.
Told that most tourists did not know about the train, the official said he had intimated the decision to the civil administration. “I had also informed the electronic media and FM stations so that the message could be flashed immediately.”
“The New Jalpaiguri-Sealdah train had 15 coaches — including AC, sleeper and general — that could accommodate 1,100 passengers. About 550 availed of the train, which is OK. The passengers were mainly those who had waitlisted tickets on various trains leaving for Sealdah yesterday,” Sarvariya added.
Because of the low turnout last evening the railways did not run a special today. Four coaches were added to Kanchankanya Express tonight.
Gopal Lama, the deputy secretary (north Bengal) of the department of tourism, said many tourists “stayed back in Siliguri because they had just started their vacation and had confirmed return tickets”.
“Some of them approached us for advice on where they could go for a safe holiday.”
Lama said his office had directed them to tourist spots in the Dooars and Cooch Behar and helped them get accommodation.
Jayanta Sarkar from Delhi and his family was among those who stayed put. “We have decided to go to the Jaldapara wildlife sanctuary,” said the senior executive of a multinational who had to come down from the hills.
Sarkar asked the tourism office whether it was safe to go to the forest, around 100km from Siliguri, and was advised to go through the plains, where the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha bandh has had little effect.
The rhino is the big draw in the sanctuary.
Manish Mehrotra of Calcutta left for Cooch Behar town, about 200km away, with his family this afternoon.
The town, the seat of the princely state of Koch Bihar during the Raj, is dotted with remnants of royal heritage.
A group from Bhatinda in Punjab made the most of the Morcha break in the bandh and headed to Sikkim.
“Our return ticket is for June 18,” said Sandeep Kumar, who was with his wife, two other couples and six children. “So we decided to take a chance,” Sandeep added.
Sikkim tourism joint secretary Siphora Grace Targail said: “They travel at their own risk. But once in Sikkim, they do not have to worry because the situation is normal.” [The Telegraph]
