A motorcycle rally by the Railway Police Force (RPF) and felicitations to freedom fighters marked the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, platinum jubilee celebration of India’s Independence, at Rail Soudha, headquarters of South Western Railway, in Hubballi on Monday.
As part of the celebrations, the RPF has so far planted 3,500 saplings at railway stations across the railway zone and offered Jal Seva to the travelling public and took up cleanliness drives at 37 railway stations. A run for unity by 550 railway staff covering 5,200 km was also held as part of the celebrations.
Earlier, for the motorcycle rally, five riders from each one of the three divisions of South Western Railway were chosen and a total of 15 riders covered 75 stations on the railway zone to reach the headquarters on Sunday.
On Monday, General Manager of South Western Railway Sanjeev Kishore flagged off the motorcycle rally at Rail Soudha. The bike rally will now proceed to New Delhi via Secunderabad. He felicitated freedom fighters Ningayya D. Sisambarimath and Basvanthappa M. Madivalar of Dharwad district.
Two Police Medal award winners retired head constable (RPF) I.H. Handral and retired Inspector (RPF) Shaji Mathew were also felicitated on the occasion.
Inspector-General and Principal Chief Security Commissioner, South Western Railway, Alok Kumar briefed about the various events conducted by RPF during Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations.
Additional General Manager of South Western Railway P.K. Mishra, Divisional Railway Manager of Hubballi Division Arvind Malkhede and other senior railway officers took part in the event.
In Dharwad
At the Dharwad Railway Station, the week-long Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations planned by the Hubballi Division of South Western Railway were launched on Monday evening and freedom fighters were felicitated.