Delhi govt should approach MHA to change Old Delhi rail station name, say officials

New Delhi, Jul 2 (PTI) Railway Board officials on Wednesday said Chief Minister Rekha Gupta should follow the formal process, after she wrote to Rail Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw seeking to change the name of Old Delhi Railway Station to Maharaja Agrasen.

Officials said the Ministry of Home Affairs is the competent authority to approve the change in the name of a railway station. It does so on the recommendation of the state government concerned.

To change the name of a station, the chief secretary of a state writes to the Home Ministry after getting due approval from the Cabinet, an official said.

"Once the Home Ministry approves (the proposal), keeping the Railway Ministry in the loop, the state government can issue a gazette notification in this regard. The Zonal Railway implements the change of name of railway stations," a senior railway board official said.

He added, "It is quite surprising that the chief minister, instead of following the due course of formal process, wrote straight to the Railway Minister knowing that it might create a lot of buzz but will not achieve the desired result." CM Gupta sought the change in name of the station "in honour of Maharaja Agrasen, a revered historical figure whose legacy has had a profound impact on the socio-economic development of India, particularly in Delhi".

Gupta, in her letter, said, "Renaming the Old Delhi Railway Station as Maharaja Agrasen Railway Station would serve as a fitting tribute to his enduring contributions and would deeply resonate with the sentiments of millions of Delhi residents who home him in the highest esteem." The Delhi CM, when was asked about her letter to the Railway Minister on the sidelines of an event on Tuesday, said, "There were requests from people. We have sent a request on behalf of the people of Delhi. Rest, let them decide." PTI JP SLB JP NSD NSD