Visakhapatnam Railway Station has been identified as the first station in East Coast Railway (ECoR) zone for the implementation of the concept of ‘One Station One Product’ on a pilot basis for a period of 15 days.
Visakhapatnam Railway Station is a major station under ECoR, with an average daily footfall of 70,000 passengers on normal days and over 1 lakh passengers during the festival and peak tourist season.
Visakhapatnam is a tourist destination, education hub, a focal point for health services and witnesses a steady flow of rail passengers from various parts of India. It is the nearest major station to the famous Etikoppaka lacquer ware toy manufacturing village.
Etikoppaka toys and its allied handicraft products will be showcased and sold at the station. Temporary stalls will be erected by the Railways. Kiosks will also be set up in areas that are easily accessible while boarding and alighting at the station. The identification of craftsmen and craftswomen would be done through local self-help groups (SHG s), NGOs, and co-operative societies that are dealing with the identified products.
Interested parties may submit their applications to the Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Waltair, with their product details. In case a large number of applications are received, allotment will be done through open lottery or public draw system only. Divisional Railway Manager Anup Satpathy appealed to the craftsmen with expertise in wood crafting and hailing from in-and around the Visakhapatnam area to use this unique opportunity and market their products.
