Kerala - Kannur   

Demand rail corridor, VS urged

KANNUR: Chairman of Kerala Congress(J) P.J. Joseph has called on Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan to exert pressure on the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government to have the Mumbai-Kanyakumari high-speed rail corridor included in Railway Budget 2008.

He welcomed the Chief Minister’s initiative to convene a meeting of MPs from the State to discuss Railway development issues on Wednesday.

Mr. Joseph added that that he also appreciated Mr. Achuthanandan’s decision to lead a delegation of the MPs to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ahead of the Railway Budget.

Speaking at a press conference here on Thursday after the Mumbai-Kanyakumari Rail-Road Development Yatra led by him reached here at noon, Mr. Joseph said that his party would continue the campaign for the Mumbai-Kanyakumari high-speed rail corridor till the proposal was approved.

Observing that the NH-17 was the worst highway in the country, Mr. Joseph said that while 80 per cent of roads in Tamil Nadu had two-lane standard, it was just 25 per cent in the State.

Infrastructure was essential for development, he said adding that the Centre should sanction 50 per cent of road development projects as grant.

He also disclosed that the party delegates would meet the Prime Minister after the culmination of the yatra. All long-distance trains should be high-speed ones, he said.

Surendran Pillai and Francis George, MLAs, were also present at the press meet.

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