P. Mitra, Chief Secretary urged the railway authorities to construct multi-storeyed parking near Bhalku museum in Shimla on railway land to minimize the parking problem in the State capital. He also urged for sharing information between government railway police (GRP) and state police in order to maintain law and order.Mitra was presiding over a meeting with top officials of Northern Railway and senior officers of the State Government here today regarding various issues relating to Railways in Himachal Pradesh.He said that the multi-storyed parking could be constructed through Public Private Participation mode or in a joint venture of railway and state government. He also discussed financing of new rail lines in the State and land acquisition issues in Tehsil Amb of district Una relating to Nangal-Talwara new broadgauge rail line and Chandigarh-Baddi new rail line in Tehsil Baddi of Solan district.
The Chief Secretary assured the railway authorities that State Government would provide all necessary help and assistance to the railway authorities for the construction of these rail lines.Shri A.K. Puthia General Manager, Northern Railway, New Delhi assured the State Government that Railway authorities would consider the demand of the state to construct multi-stroryed parking near old bus stand Shimla on railway land.During the meeting issues related to forest clearances, banning of illegal mining near railway tracks and bridges, joint demarcation of railway land and construction of road over bridges, construction of boundary wall on edge of Kalka- Shimla National Highway at identified points in order to avoid accidents on track to curb throwing and dumping of garbage on Shimla-Kalka railway track at identified locations, opening of GRP out post/chowki at Parwanoo or Solan and strengthening of GRP chowki at Una were discussed.
Additional Chief Secretary, Forests and Revenue Shri Tarun Shridhar, Principal Secretary , Finance Dr. Shrikant Baldi, Director General of Police Shri Sanjay Kumar, Advisor, Planning Shri Akshay Sood, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Shri Sushil Srivastava, Deputy Commissioner Solan Shri Madan Chauhan, Divisional Railway Manager, Ambala and other senior officers of the State Government and Northern Railway were also present in the meeting.