New Delhi: The Central Railways chief public relations officer Shivraj Manaspure was suddenly transferred on December 29, 2023 – just seven months after being appointed to the post – soon after he released details on how much the 3D Narendra Modi ‘selfie points’ at railway stations had cost.According to The Times of India, Manaspure has been transferred without being given a reason or being told where his next posting will be.The Central Railways is one of 19 zones of Indian Railways. An Amravati-based social activist, Ajay Bose, had filed Right to Information Act queries with five of those zones – Central Railways, Western, Southern, Northern, and North Western Railways – asking for details on costs associated with the selfie booths. The Central Railways was the only zone to respond to the query on specific costs.In its response, it was revealed that in the Central Railway Zone alone, around 20 “permanent” selfie booths have been installed at the cost of Rs 6.25 lakh each, totalling to Rs 1.25 crore. There are another 32 odd “temporary” selfie booths at a cost of Rs 1.25 lakh each (a total of Rs 40 lakh).“The information from CR was supplied by deputy GM Abhay Mishra, but the CPRO has been shunted out,” said Bose, according to The Times of India.Manaspure has been replaced by Swapnil D. Nila, who refused to comment on the change. Other officials told the newspaper that it was a “top-level decision”.Railway stations are just one of the many places where the government is using taxpayer money to put up these Modi selfie points. Universities, public areas, etc. too have seen these selfie points spring up.
