The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Karunanidhi seeks early completion of rail projects

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 12, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Karunanidhi seeks early completion of rail projects

Special Correspondent

Chief Minister evinces special interest in gauge conversion work, suggests new lines

COURTESY CALL: Thomas Varghese, General Manager, Southern Railway, presenting a replica of a steam engine to Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi at the Secretariat in Chennai on Tuesday. — Photo: S.R. Raghunathan

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi has evinced keen interest in the progress of ongoing railway projects in the State and want these completed within a time frame, Southern Railway General Manager Thomas Varghese said here on Tuesday.

Briefing reporters after meeting Mr. Karunanidhi at the Secretariat, Mr. Varghese said the Chief Minister sought to know when gauge conversion work between Manamadurai and Rameswaram and Tiruchi and Karaikudi would be completed. He was for early execution of the Villupuram-Mayiladuthurai main line conversion and for laying a new line from Nagapattinam to Thiruthuraipundi via Thirukuvalai.

Mr. Varghese said he told Mr. Karunanidhi that the broad gauge line to Rameswaram would be ready by March. The Tiruchi-Pudukottai stretch of the Tiruchi-Karaikudi section would be opened by September this year.

Closure sought

To Mr. Karunanidhi's query on the Villupuram-Mayiladuthurai conversion work, Mr. Varghese said the project was being executed by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited. It had sought closure of the section if it was to be completed within a year.

When he informed Mr. Karunanidhi that the feasibility report for the new line from Nagapattinam to Thiruthuraipundi would be sent to the Railway Board by December this year, Mr. Karunanidhi wanted it to be extended to Velankanni.

While carving out a new railway division with headquarters at Salem, Mr. Karunanidhi suggested that sections and major stations within the State be included in it. As the Railway Board would decide the territorial jurisdiction, he assured the Chief Minister that he would do the needful.

Land sought

He said the zone had already sent a feasibility report to the Railway Board. The cost of forming the division would be Rs. 36 crore, excluding the cost of 100 acres of land. He appealed to the Chief Minister to give at least 50 acres of land free of cost to Southern Railway for the zone.

When he informed Mr. Karunanidhi that the Board had cleared doubling of the Chengalpattu-Villupuram section and the proposal was with the Planning Commission, the latter suggested doubling the Chengalpattu-Tuticorin section in view of the increasing passenger traffic.

The General Manager informed him that the Board had asked the zone to send a feasibility report.

As electrification work of the Villupuram-Tiruchi section was on, he pleaded for reduced power tariff by the State Government for Southern Railway. The Chief Minister asked the Chief Secretary, who was present, to examine the request.

Mr. Karunanidhi also wanted the zone to give priority to projects such as the Salem-Cuddalore gauge conversion and the MRTS for which the State Government was sharing the cost. He also urged the zone to provide more passenger amenities and complete the construction of ongoing railway over/under bridges in the State.

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