ProUI

Municipal Administration and Wakf Minister Qamar-ul Islam said that the 67th Independence Day celebrations signalled the beginning of a new era of development for Hyderabad Karnataka.Two long-pending demands of the region are becoming a reality: establishment of a permanent bench of the Karnataka High Court, and implementation of Article 371(J).Speaking after inspecting the guard of honour and unfurling the national flag during the Independence Day celebrations on the Police Parade Ground here on Thursday, Mr. Islam said that the permanent bench of the Karnataka High Court here would cover Gulbarga, Yadgir, Bijapur and Raichur.It would be inaugurated on August 31. Chief Justice of India P. Sathasivam has been invited to participate in the inaugural function.Mr. Islam said that the State has already decided to extend the benefits of Article 371(J) to the people of Hyderabad Karnataka. The framing of rules and fixing of reservation has been finalised.Once the notification empowering the Governor to frame the rules for implementing Article 371(J) gets Presidential assent, special status would become a reality, he said.

It is heartening to note that the Centre and State have joined hands to develop the region’s road and rail network, the Minister said. He lauded Railway Minister M. Mallikarjun Kharge for his contributions to the region’s development: getting the ESIC super-speciality hospital for Gulbarga, upgradation of the railway station, expediting the construction of the Gulbarga-Bidar rail line, and the electrification of the Wadi-Gulbarga rail line.

The Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to protect wakf properties. Survey and listing of wakf properties was nearing completion, and this would put an end to the encroachment of wakf properties and enable the government to take back those properties. The government also proposes to construct a Haj Bhavan here, along the lines of the one in Bangalore, he added.

G. SRINIVASAN
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Association says the train should be continued till a new train was introduced


Demand for continuing Rockfort express from Kumbakonam till the new Thanjavur-Chennai Express train is introduced has been growing in Thanjavur district as the people feel that they may lose a vital link to Chennai if the train is short-terminated in Tiruchi before introducing the new train.

People said that reservation had been stopped for Rockfort Express beyond August 28. It was assumed that the train would be stopped by then. If the train was stopped on August 28, people of Thanjavur district would be deprived of a vital link to Chennai. If the new Thanjavur-Chennai Express was introduced before that, it would cater to the demands of the people of the district, they said.

According to A. Giri, Vice-President, Thanjavur District Rail Users’ Association, people of Thanjavur and Kumbakonam had five trains to Chennai before gauge conversion which provided them 1,500 berths. “Now there are three trains — Rameswaram, Mannai express and Rockfort Express — which provide them 422 berths. Out of these, Rockfort Express alone provides them 250 berths. If this train was short-terminated without introducing the new Thanjavur-Chennai express, which had been announced in the last year budget and for which time table has been announced by the Southern Railway, then the people will be deprived of major percentage of berths they enjoy,” Mr. Giri said.

Therefore, the southern Railway should continue to operate the Rockfort Express from Kumbakonam till the new train was introduced, Mr. Giri added.

Running the train from Kumbakonam for a couple of months more would not be a problem. It would help the pilgrims who would throng Velankanni, where the festival of Basilica of Our Lady of Health begins on August 29 and would go on till September 12. Vinayaka Chathurthi falls on September 9, when the people would travel from Chennai to respective places, Mr. Giri said.

He expressed concern over the delay in introducing the new Thanjavur-Chennai Express. “All the three trains announced in Tiruchi division have been introduced. They are Mannai-Coimbatore Chemmozhi Express, Velankanni-Madras Egmore Link Express, Chennai-Karaikudi bi-weekly Express. Only the train from Thanjavur-Chennai has not been introduced so far. It should be introduced immediately,” he said.

V. Jeevakumar, Adviser to Train Passengers Association from Thanjavur to Tiruchi, said that senior citizens were using the Rockfort Express. Train remained the most convenient mode of transport for old people. Rockfort had been a convenient train for people of Kumbakonam and Thanjavur. If it was closed, then the people should be provided with an alternative.

As the new train had been announced, it should be introduced quickly.

K. Padmanabhan, president of Thanjavur Chamber of Commerce and Industry, echoed the same and said that Rockfort Express should be operated from Kumbakonam till the new train was introduced.

S.S. Palani Manickam, MP and former union minister, said he held discussions with General Manager of Southern Railway and Divisional Railway Manager, Tiruchi, regarding the demand. They promised to look into the matter.

The proposed introduction of a new weekly train from Yesvantpur to Mangalore and a recently introduced weekly special train from Mangalore to Kacheguda (Hyderabad) is expected to benefit Coimbatore to a considerable extent.The Yesvantpur – Mangalore weekly train (06565/66) to be introduced shortly will serve the travel needs of Coimbatoreans to Bangalore (Yesvantpur is a satellite station for Bangalore) as well as Mangalore.The Mangalore – Kacheguda (Hyderabad) weekly express is a precursor to the weekly train service announced in the budget. The special train service 07605 from Mangalore departs on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. and reaches Coimbatore in the small hours of Thursday and reaches Kacheguda at 3.40 a.m. on Friday.In the return direction, the Kacheguda – Mangalore special train 07606 departs from Kacheguda on Tuesdays at 6 a.m., reaches Coimbatore in the small hours of Wednesday, and reaches Mangalore at forenoon on Thursday. In both directions, the train gives day-time connectivity for Coimbatore with Mangalore as well as Hyderabad.

The train has 18 coaches with one AC two-tier, two AC III tier, seven sleeper class coaches, six general second-class and two luggage-cum-brake van coaches. As generally done by Railways, the train on completion of its four-plus-four services as a special train in either direction for studying the traffic pattern, will be converted into a regular bi-weekly service as announced in the budget and indicated in the Southern Zonal Railway Time Table.

The proposed Bangalore – Mangalore – Bangalore (Yesvantpur – Mangalore) weekly train will provide Coimbatore with one additional train connectivity with Mangalore and the much required connectivity with Bangalore. Because of code of conduct in force in Karnataka and resistance for operating the train on a circuitous route, the introduction of the same was getting delayed, say sources.

People in Karnataka want the train to be operated from Mangalore to Bangalore directly via Subhramaniya Road. However, when introduced, the train gets the distinction of running from Bangalore to Mangalore (both in Karnataka) via three southern States namely Andhra Pradesh (Kuppam), Tamil Nadu and Kerala before reaching Mangalore.

The train 16565 on introduction from Yesvantpur will depart in the small hours of Sunday, reach Coimbatore around 9 a.m. on Monday and reach Mangalore on Monday evening at 5.40 p.m.

What appeared to be a case of large-scale trafficking of children, who were intercepted by the police at New Delhi railway station on Friday, turned out to be a journey undertaken by 156 minors from Bihar and Nepal to study at a madrassa in Gujarat. The drama unfolded when the police got an anonymous call saying that children were being trafficked on board the Firozpur-Mumbai Janta Express. The minors first got off a train at the Anand Vihar station and were then taken to the New Delhi railway station to catch a train to Gujarat.Acting on the tip-off, the police, in coordination with a non-government organisation, tracked down the children. While 22 minors are from Nepal, the rest are from Katihar, Saharsa and Araria in Bihar. “They were accompanied by 11 adults. Since all the children could not be produced before the CWC, we requested CWC chairman Sushma Vij to visit the railway station for the proceedings,” said an officer.Accordingly, the CWC chairman and two Committee members interviewed the children, aged between seven and 15 years, and the adults. “They said they were on their way back to a madrassa at Bharuch in Gujarat after Id vacations. Most children were enrolled with the educational institution,” said Ms. Vij.The CWC chairman said: “It was certainly not a case of human trafficking. However, we wanted to conduct a thorough inquiry and crosscheck with their parents. Accordingly we drafted an order directing that they should be kept at a care home. But then some community leaders from the nearby areas of Jama Masjid and Nabi Karim reached there along with their supporters and said the situation would get aggravated if the children were not allowed to go. Following discussions, and to avoid any trouble, we decided to issue a fresh order restoring them to the adults travelling with them. We also crosschecked with the Bharuch Deputy Superintendent of Police about the madrassa before issuing the order.”

Saying that the children belong to poor families, Ms. Vij said it would not have been possible for their parents, especially those from Nepal, to come to the Capital for verification.

Another official wondered why children from Nepal were being taken to Gujarat for studies. “It does not seem reasonable. If educational institutions wish to extend support to children from poor economic background in Nepal, the purpose would be better served if they set up a centre in the same country,” he said.

Police intercepted 156 minors at New Delhi railway station while they were travelling to Gujarat for studies

The Palakkad Railway Division, threatened with another bifurcation to create the proposed new Mangalore Division, has made record earnings in the first four months of the current financial year.In the passenger earnings, the division recorded an increase of 14.4 per cent from Rs.146.49 crore to Rs.167.59 crore from April to July compared to the corresponding figures of the previous year, said Divisional Railway Manager Piyush Agarwal.The division also increased its Goods earnings by 24.66 per cent from Rs.127.14 crore in the previous year to Rs.158.49 crore during this period.

Other earnings

Similar hike was also recorded in other coaching earnings from Rs.7.2 crore of last year to Rs.11.27 crore this financial year so far. The originating freight loading registered the highest-ever monthly earnings of Palakkad division — Rs. 47.1 crore — for the month of June.

Coal landing

Coal loading during June was 0.752 MT which is the best-ever loading in the history of Palakkad division.

Coal loading in the division for the months of April to July 2013 registered 2.70 MT, as compared to the corresponding figures of 1.81 MT of the previous year, he said.

Total loading

Similarly, the total loading rose to 3.33 MT from April to July of 2013 compared to 2.32 MT recorded for the corresponding period of 2012, Mr. Agarwal said.


The division increased its Goods earnings by 24.66 per cent

In the passenger earnings, it recorded a hike of 14.4 per cent

A friendly football match between General Manager XI and President East Coast Railway Womens’ Welfare Organisation (ECoRWWO) XI was organised at Railway Stadium, Mancheswar on occasion of celebration of Independence Day. Indra Ghosh, General Manager, East Coast Railway, inaugurated the match. GM’s XI defeated President ECoRWWO XI.

Hundreds were left stranded Friday as a technical fault hit Delhi Metro's Blue Line between Karol Bagh and R.K. Ashram Marg stations.By the time the snag was rectified after almost two hours, large crowds had gathered at platforms all along the busy route, linking Dwarka in west Delhi with Noida and Vaishali in Uttar Pradesh.The 49-km Blue Line covers 43 stations in some of the most populous parts of the capital and is the longest in the network."The services ran in three short loops following the technical problem in the overhead electrification line," a metro official said.The crowds were maximum at the Rajiv Chowk interchange, the busiest of all metro stations.

A friendly football match between General Manager XI and President East Coast Railway Womens’ Welfare Organisation (ECoRWWO) XI was organised at Railway Stadium, Mancheswar on occasion of celebration of Independence Day. Indra Ghosh, General Manager, East Coast Railway, inaugurated the match. GM’s XI defeated President ECoRWWO XI.

The proposed introduction of a new weekly train from Yesvantpur to Mangalore and a recently introduced weekly special train from Mangalore to Kacheguda (Hyderabad) is expected to benefit Coimbatore to a considerable extent.The Yesvantpur – Mangalore weekly train (06565/66) to be introduced shortly will serve the travel needs of Coimbatoreans to Bangalore (Yesvantpur is a satellite station for Bangalore) as well as Mangalore.The Mangalore – Kacheguda (Hyderabad) weekly express is a precursor to the weekly train service announced in the budget. The special train service 07605 from Mangalore departs on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. and reaches Coimbatore in the small hours of Thursday and reaches Kacheguda at 3.40 a.m. on Friday.In the return direction, the Kacheguda – Mangalore special train 07606 departs from Kacheguda on Tuesdays at 6 a.m., reaches Coimbatore in the small hours of Wednesday, and reaches Mangalore at forenoon on Thursday. In both directions, the train gives day-time connectivity for Coimbatore with Mangalore as well as Hyderabad.

The train has 18 coaches with one AC two-tier, two AC III tier, seven sleeper class coaches, six general second-class and two luggage-cum-brake van coaches. As generally done by Railways, the train on completion of its four-plus-four services as a special train in either direction for studying the traffic pattern, will be converted into a regular bi-weekly service as announced in the budget and indicated in the Southern Zonal Railway Time Table.

The proposed Bangalore – Mangalore – Bangalore (Yesvantpur – Mangalore) weekly train will provide Coimbatore with one additional train connectivity with Mangalore and the much required connectivity with Bangalore. Because of code of conduct in force in Karnataka and resistance for operating the train on a circuitous route, the introduction of the same was getting delayed, say sources.

People in Karnataka want the train to be operated from Mangalore to Bangalore directly via Subhramaniya Road. However, when introduced, the train gets the distinction of running from Bangalore to Mangalore (both in Karnataka) via three southern States namely Andhra Pradesh (Kuppam), Tamil Nadu and Kerala before reaching Mangalore.

The train 16565 on introduction from Yesvantpur will depart in the small hours of Sunday, reach Coimbatore around 9 a.m. on Monday and reach Mangalore on Monday evening at 5.40 p.m.

LUCKNOW: The Government of India has returned the DPR (detailed project report) of Lucknow metro rail project to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). It has asked the corporation to make certain amendments in the report. After the return of proposal, DMRC is busy incorporating the necessary changed advised by the Centre. Officials claimed that very soon, the revised DPR would be again sent to the GOI for approval. DMRC had prepared the DPR of Lucknow metro in July, this year and had submitted it to the government then. The high power committee formed under the chairmanship of chief secretary, Jawed Usmani, for monitoring metro's development, had also given its nod to the DPR in July itself. After that, the proposal was sent to the Centre for its approval. However the report was returned by the Centre as it raised a few questions regarding the financial aspect of funding the metro. The Centre has expressed hesitation about various sources from which metro funds will be arranged and also various factors which would earn revenues for the state. This is the reason why the Centre has returned the DPR to the state government. Metro Cell officials are making all efforts to begin the ground work of metro from December this year only. The construction work of metro would start by the year end in all likelihood. All aspects are being taken care of to begin the project in time like making of a special purpose vehicle to execute the project, detail designing of metro, estimate of buildings and lands getting impacted by the metro route, special perks and facilities to the owners of impacted buildings and ways to garner additional revenues by collecting tax from nearby areas of the metro route. Higher officials of metro cell said that even though much time has been consumed in forwarding the DPR to the Centre and then its return for amendments, in all possibilities the metro work would begin as per schedule and the recovery of time loss would be made for. As soon as the Centre sanctions detailed project report and give a green signal to the new SPV -Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation, the remaining work would speed up. DMRC claimed that they would prepare the revised DPR with all necessary changes incorporated by next week and submit it to the Centre.