Priyamvada Viswanathan, Chief Commercial Manager, Southern Railway, inaugurated a Child Help Desk at Platform Nos.1 and 1A of the Salem Junction. The Child Help Desk has been set up with the help from the NGOs ‘Railway Children India’ (RCI) and Terre Des Hommes CORE Trust. This is the first such facility being provided in Indian Railways by these NGOs that will provide assistance to the children-in-need round the clock 24x7.
Indian Railways is taking various steps to assist the abandoned, missing and run away children, including the ones being abducted for child labor and found wandering in Railway Stations. Already, the Child line No.1098 is functioning in all Railway Stations to assist such children.
It has been identified by these NGOs in a survey that on an average, 2 to 3 children arriving at Salem Junction are unaccompanied, travelling alone in distress, ran away from home or separated from their family, voluntarily abandoned by parents, trafficked. So, with a view to assist them and to restore them to their family or provide necessary assistance in coordination with the designated Government agencies, Railway Protection Force and Government Railway Police.
Speaking on the occasion, Smt. Priyamvada Viswanathan lauded the efforts of Railway Children India and Terre Des Hommes CORE Trust in coming forward to join hands with Southern Railway with the noble aim of assisting the destitute children. Sri Verma assured that all wings of Salem Division would support the functioning of the Child Help Desk in every way possible.
Then, Smt. Priyamvada Viswanathan, CCM, and Sri Hari Shankar Verma, DRM, jointly launched the app based Cab Booking Services by Ola Cabs at the Salem Junction premises. The facility will help passengers book a cab to the destination of their choice either using the Ola Kiosks set up at the Salem Junction, or from the mobile Ola App. This is the second such facility in Salem Division, after Coimbatore Junction.
Smt. Priyamvada said that Salem Division has been leading from the front in providing passenger amenities and services in Southern Railway and other Divisions should also emulate such initiatives of Salem Division. Sri Hari Shankar Varma said that such App Based Cab booking services would be expanded to more Railway Stations in Salem Division. An area has been provided for Ola Cabs on the northern side of the portico in Salem Junction near the ATMs for parking of Ola Cabs to pick up and drop the passengers.
Later, Mrs.Priyamvada and Sri Varma, participated in an Award function for the Commercial Branch staff of both Salem and Palakkad Railway Divisions. During the function, 103 Commercial Branch staff from Salem and Palakkad Divisions were honored with cash awards and certificates for their meritorious services by Priyamvada. Addressing the officers, staff and awardees, she said that being frontline staff, Commercial Staff should always serve the passengers and other rail users with a smile. Though it is easy to antagonize a passenger/rail user resulting in a complaint, it is always better to handle things in a soft way and see that the rail users are happy with the services they are getting. She also advised them to treat all fare paying passengers on equal footing, irrespective of his class of travel, which is the basic duty of the Commercial Branch staff. Sri Sathyanarayana Hari, Divisional Commercial Manager, Palakkad Division, was also present during the function, representing Palakkad Division.