Chennai, September 01: A public welfare association today sought a direction from Madras High Court to Railways and BSNL to continue providing facilities like telegraph office, fax, STD/ISD booths and recharge, top up and booster cards at Central Railway station,which was stopped after a dispute over rent payable by BSNL to Railways for space provided there.
BSNL had announced closure of the facilities from August 31 after the rent for the 650 square feet area was hiked from a nominal Rs 500 per month to Rs 33,000, All India Rail and Bus Passengers Wefare Association said in its petition.
When the matter came up for hearing, the First Bench, comprising Chief Justice H L Gokhale and Justice D Murugasen, ordered maintenance of status quo with regard to the facility.
When Railways counsel pointed out that BSNL had already dismantled the facility, the Bench ordered there be no further dismantling and posted the petition for September 3.
Claiming that BSNL, taking note of benefit to passengers arriving and leaving the Station,had decided to provide a full fledged service centre by extending value additions like additional booths and e-remittance facilities, the petitioner contended that Southern Railways, on receiving BSNL’s request for more space, had demanded rent at Rs 58 per square feet for the existing site and Rs 27 lakh as arrears. .
—Agencies