The Centre has sanctioned Rs 5 crore for the repair of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) Tindharia locomotive workshop, located about 20km from Kurseong in Darjeeling district.

The DHR was declared a world heritage site by the Unesco in 1999. The workshop — established in 1915 — is used to repair the heritage steam engines.

“A sum of Rs 5 crore has been sanctioned to revamp the heritage Tindharia workshop by the ministry of railways,” said Raju Bista, BJP MP of Darjeeling. “The workshop has very old machines which are of incalculable value.”

The workshop has around 90 workers and is an important cog for the economy of this tiny hamlet in the district.

On Monday, Bista visited the railway hospital at Tindharia, accompanied by A.K. Mishra, director of the DHR, and donated an oxygen concentrator, oximeters, PPE kits and mask to the 20-bedded facility.

Sources said the hospital established in 1940s was not fully functional.

Bista assured local people that he would take up the hospital issue to Union railway minister Piyush Goyal and demand upgradation of the facility.