Sehore (Madhya Pradesh): Owners of houses near the railway station have turned their residences into guest houses and lodges to accommodate devotees coming to Rudraksha Mahotsav at Kubereshwar Dham in Sehore on the occasion of Shivratri. The house owners, however, did not take permission from the administration for turning their residences into lodges and guest houses.
A few residents have voiced their concern over it, saying if there is any unpleasant incident, there will be none to take the responsibility for it. Lakhs of people from different parts of the country flock to Kubereshwar Dham every year to take part in Rudraksha Mahotsav organised by religious preacher Pradeep Mishra.
The district administration is getting ready for the event, but the officials have barely paid any attention to the house owners who have turned their residences into lodges without permission. Such lodges are being run from the areas near platform number one and two of Sehore railway station, but there is no security arrangement. There are many women and children who visit Kubereshwar Dham at this time of the year.
The agents of guest house owners collect the devotees from the railway station and take them to their lodges. Even the railway police do not take any action against the agents. Similarly, the people living in Narendra Nagar, Shiv Aradhya colony and other places near railway platform number two have turned their residences into guest houses.
The house owners never give any information about those who take these houses on rent. The officials at Mandi and Kotwali police stations said that the house owners never gave them any information about the devotees who stay there during Rudraksha Mahotsav.
Once a child of a devotee fell from the roof of one of the houses, but the administration did not take any action. Town inspector of Kotwali police station Vikas Khichi said people living near the railway station rented out their houses, but they never gave any information about those who had stayed there. Similarly, in-charge of Mandi police station Rakesh Panthi said the owners of lodges never gave any information about those who are staying there, but a meeting would soon be held to discuss the issue.
