Title - : MDMK campaign seeking rail projects to begin today

Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is launching a campaign in and around the city to urge the State Government to embark on Metro Rail Project for Coimbatore besides contributing its attention and share in ensuring the progress of various other railway projects.

The campaign to be presided by V. Easwaran – District Secretary of the party on August 1 (Wednesday) will begin at Sundarapuram, Aaatuppalam, Kuniamuthur, Kovaipudur, Perur, Vedapatti, Vadavalli, Idayarpalayam, Kavundampalayam, Thudialur, Saravanampatti, Kalapatti, Chinniampalayam and Sulur.

Mr.Easwaran told The Hindu that Coimbatore is all set to miss the bus in terms of the Metro Rail Project. Union Ministry for Urban Development in November 2011 announced Metro Rail Projects for tier-II cities such as Ahmedabad, Pune, Surat, Jaipur, Kanpur, Lucknow, Nagpur, Indore, Coimbatore, Kochi, Patna and Kozhikode. In the event of the States evincing interest in metro rail project, the Centre will come forward and give its consent and funds sharing the cost of the project.

Under this scheme, Metro rail works had begun in Kochi. State Governments have joined hands with Metro Rail Corporation and have commenced the Detailed Project Report (DPR) works in terms of Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Pune and Ludhiana. Similarly, DPR works are in progress in respect of Metro Rail works for Indore, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Surat, Kanpur, Patna, Nagpur, Jaipur. Even the neighbouring State of Kerala has commenced the works for mono-rail in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode. Of the 19 cities chosen for metro rail project, works had commenced in 18 cities and it was unfortunate that nothing has been done in respect of Coimbatore. Transportation infrastructure was paramount for a growing Coimbatore and for accelerating its economical growth and to rid the city of congestion. The Union Government was giving close to 50 per cent for the DPR cost for metro rail project and then also gives a share of the project cost to help the States implement it. Mr. Easwaran urged the State Government to make use of this opportunity to improve Coimbatore’s infrastructure. Metro rail project works will take nearly eight years and it was already too late for Coimbatore, he added.