Central Railway trade unions threaten stir over CSMT museum plan

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal had come up with the idea in 2017

Central Railway (CR) trade unions have threatened to revive their agitation at Mumbai CSMT (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus) as Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has kept his pet project of converting the railway station's building into a heritage museum.

"It is sad what the minister is trying to do and we will revive the agitation if the Railways go ahead with any such plan," said Central Railway Mazdoor Sangh (CRMS) general secretary, Dr Praveen Bajpayee.

While an eminent conservation architect lamented the move, railway activists slammed Goyal for unnecessarily creating controversies.

"The minister should focus on passenger amenities and other stuff instead of taking up projects that create animosity among the staff and city stakeholders," another conservation volunteer associated with the building said. The volunteer added that the railways had already spoilt many portions of the building beyond repair and have covered them with cloth. "This latest move will only lead to further damage," the volunteer said.

mid-day reported on Thursday how a R25-crore project under budget head 819 had been kept alive by the government by allotting a nominal sum of R1,000. This is the first time any allocation has been made to the project since its announcement two years ago.

The project had been opposed tooth and nail by not just conservationists, city heritage enthusiasts, railway employees and their trade unions, but also by the descendants of the main building's architect FW Stevens, after which the ministry had gone on the back foot and said they would reconsider the project.

mid-day had first reported in December 2017 about how Goyal, while taking rounds of the Mumbai CSMT station in November that year, had directed officials to convert the entire building into a museum. The Railways had then begun the process of vacating offices and had started hunting for suitable offices for the Central Railway's General Manager and his team.

Unions had staged a 21-day sit-in dharna against the plans at CSMT station's lobby. The CRMS had also planned a hunger strike unto death before the plan was called off.

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