The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Allotment far from adequate

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 04, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Allotment far from adequate

By S. Vydhianathan

CHENNAI, MARCH 3. There is a mismatch between allotment of funds and commitment to certain gauge conversion works in Tamil Nadu.

The Railway Minister, Lalu Prasad, in his budget announced that the Kumbakonam-Mayiladuturai section of the Villupuram-Thanjavur project, the Manamadurai-Mandapam section of the Madurai-Rameswaram project, the Tiruchi-Pudukottai section of the Tiruchi-Manamadurai project and the Vriddhachalam-Attur section of the Salem-Vriddhachalam project will be targeted for conversion for the coming financial year.

But the funds allotment is far from adequate, say Southern Railway officials here.

As per Mr. Prasad's announcement, a stretch of about 350 km is to be converted in the next financial year and will require about Rs. 350 crores at the average cost of conversion of Rs. 1 crore a km. But the allotment for the targeted portions is just Rs. 160 crores, less than 50 per cent of the requirement.

The allotment for the 32-km Kumbakonam-Mayiladuthurai stretch is just Rs. 1 crore. Passengers complained that the Thanajvur-Villupuram section was the most neglected stretch in Southern Railway and that gauge conversion had been going for years with no end in sight.

At present there was no direct link to Chennai from Mayiladuturai, Chidambaram and Cuddalore. The passengers had to get down at Tambaram, 25 km from the city. At this rate of allotment, it would take at least five more years for the project to be completed.

Only for the Tiruchi-Pudukottai and Vriddhachalam-Attur sections have sufficient funds been sanctioned. A sum of Rs. 50 crores has been granted for the 53- km stretch from Tiruchi to Pudukottai.

As the State Government is sharing 50 per cent cost of the Cuddalore-Salem project, the amount sanctioned (Rs. 42 crores), along with the State's equal contribution, will help the Southern Railway complete the Vriddhachalam-Attur section (84 km) in the next financial year. For the Manamadurai-Mandapam section (97 km), only 25 crores has been allotted. This is one of the most important works of Southern Railway, as it will put the pilgrim town Rameswaram on the broad gauge map. Another major project hit by poor fund allotment is the Karur-Salem new line. As against the estimated cost of Rs. 230 crores, Rs. 70 crores has been spent on the new line. In the current year, Rs. 1 crore was allotted. Land acquisition is said to be a major reason for the delay in completing the project.

However, officials here are hopeful of getting more funds during the year.

They said even last year the allotted money was less than the requirement. But the zone succeeded in completing all targeted projects including the Egmore-Tambaram suburban, Madurai-Manamadurai, Rajaplayam-Tenkasi and Thanjavur-Tiruvarur sections, mobilising the required amount. They would complete the stretches this year too, they added.

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