Aurangabad, Dec 26:
The railway issues of Marathwada, which have been pending for the last 30 years, are still the same. Govindbhai used to pursue these issues through agitation and correspondence with the government. However, after Govindbhai''s exit, the government has become indifferent to railway issues of Marathwada, said Omprakash Verma, veteran railway activist.
The ''Padma Vibhushan Govindbhai Shroff Smriti Award'' given by Swami Ramananda Tirtha Marathwada Research Institute was given to Omprakash Verma this year. He was honoured with the award at the hands of Dr S B Varade at SB hall here on Saturday. This was the 17th year of the award. Dr Sharad Advanth, Dnyanprakash Modani, Suresh Deshpande were present on the dais. Speaking on the occasion, Verma commented on the railway issue of Marathwada and the role of Govindbhai Shroff. He said, "I have a huge determination to fulfil Govindbhai''s wishes regarding the railway issue. Therefore, even if I get old, I will not give up. All the railway projects in Marathwada are moving at snail''s pace. The youths here are not interested in these questions. The government does not even think that a meeting should be held on railway issues in Marathwada for many years. No politician cares about these questions. He also lamented whether the guardian minister of the city knows whether there is a railway in Marathwada or not. Meanwhile, Dnyanprakash Modani praised Verma for his dedication towards the issues. Dignitaries including Tarabai Ladda were present on the occasion.