Though officials say the chairs have been sent for repairs, employees claimed that those have been removed to keep dating couples at bay.

Metro platforms have long been a favourite of couples keen on eking out a cool spot in summer, when the Maidan or the Victoria Memorial is not the ideal rendezvous for a date. Earlier, platform staircases were occupied by dating couples, often inconveniencing commuters. The arrival of chairs pleased them as they completely ignored the advisory and occupied those for hours together.

The authorities plan to withdraw chairs from other stations, too. "We have decided to withdraw chairs and replace these soon," said Pranab Dutta, Metro's senior public relations officer.

But commuters like Gopal Roy of Palpara, Nadia, seconded the Metro staff. Narrating his experience on Valentine's Day, he said: "My elderly mother, other family members and I were waiting to board a train for Dum Dum at
Esplanade. When we requested a young couple to share a seat with my mother, they simply refused, notwithstanding the appeals on the advisory board over their heads."

Lawyer Tamal Mukherjee said at all underground railway stations abroad, chairs are reserved for the physically challenged and the elderly. This facility should be enforced here, too.