For the comfort of defence personnel and their dependents, Howrah railway station will soon have new resting rooms or 'Sainik Aramgah' replete with modern facilities.
"The new facility, replete with modern amenities at platform number 17, is expected to be ready in the next two months," Col Bhaskaran SKM, Commanding Officer, 413 MC/MF Detachment responsible for overseeing the movement control and forwarding of troops, said.
Station Commander, Kolkata Garrison, Maj Gen Harsha Kakar reviewed the facilities of the movement control office (MCO) during an inspection at the station and expressed satisfaction at the upcoming project being readied by the Railways.
MCO Howrah raised on April 29, 1957, is among the three MCOs located in the city.
While the MCO at Sealdah railway station also caters to the needs of the Armed Forces, the one located at Dum Dum caters to the air transportation needs of troops and senior dignitaries of the Armed Forces.
Nearly a lakh troops are directly dependent on the Howrah MCO, which also supervises a large number of movement of critical military stores, additional coaches, military compartment and goods.
The number of troops in the coming years is only set to grow as newer military garrisons come up in the eastern theatre.
Currently, MCO Howrah is fully automated, air-conditioned and functions 24x7. An indigenous software package which has been linked to a touch screen for Defence Department Quota (DDQ) for all defence passengers has been provided here.
