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            Today’s ‘Hindu’ daily comes out with a news item as though Tamil Nadu has got a better deal or even more in gauge conversion during the 9th Five Year Plan period.  But the reality is to the contrary.  Considering the fact that there are more number of metre gauge railway lines in Tamil Nadu, the schedule for the gauge conversion work is not satisfactory.

            I do not know whether such view is spread either due to the over sightedness of that daily or due to the over enthusiasm of the publicity wing of the Railways.  During the 9th Plan period, of the 509 km. of gauge conversion only 266 km. of lines were converted as broad gauge lines.  During the 9th Plan period, the total length of railway lines taken for gauge conversion was 2100 kms.  Whereas in Tamil Nadu only 266 kms of railway line went through the process.  It is not really satisfying when we find that only 266 kms of lines have been * English translation of the speech originally delivered  in Tamil.

converted in a span of 15 years.  You find broad gauge lines in the northern part of Tamil Nadu next to Chennai Central and a good old line running up to Tirucharrapalli otherwise major portion of the railway line laid during the British time were all meter gauge.  Gauge conversion at a national level was taken up in a big way from 1992-93.  Even before that there was a demand from Tamil Nadu to go for converting Tiruchi Karur and Karur – Dindigul sections into broad gauge lines.  This long felt demand was translated into action only after the national level gauge conversion scheme was in full swing.  Even then we have to state that the gauge conversion work in Tamil Nadu is not keeping pace with the aspirations of the people and it goes on a slow pace still.  If there is any State where people have been put to greater inconvenience due to discontinuance of rail service or delay in gauge conversion or slow progress of gauge conversion work resulting in stoppage of services, it is only Tamil Nadu.  Rail passengers have been put to great inconvenience which affected even the operational efficiency of Southern Railway.  Madurai – Tirunelveli section was closed for a long time before the gauge conversion could be completed.  Tuticorin – Maniatchi section was also finding itself without service for a long time due to delayed execution of gauge conversion.  Manamadurai – Rameswaram gauge conversion met with the same fate.  Thiruvarur – Tanjore section has been closed and continues to remain closed for the past four years now, Mayiladurai – Thiruvarur section is not in operation still. 

MR. CHAIRMAN :  Now, please conclude.

ADV. SURESH KURUP : Within a few minutes, I am concluding, Sir.

            Another very important point is regarding gauge conversion of Palghat-Pollachi line.  The hon. Minister very well knows about it.  He is also very much interested in this line.  Though the project has been approved, I am sorry to say that the work has not yet started there.  So, I would request that the work should start on this project immediately.

Then, Sir, survey for a new line from Kollankodu to Trichur, is already completed.  It is only 46 kilometre line.  If this new line comes up,  it would connect Guruvayur, Palani, Madurai and Rameshvaram.  The major pilgrim centres in the South will also be connected.  The tourists place like Nelliampadi, Parambikulam, Kodaiakanal would also be connected.  So, it would become a pilgrim line as well as a tourist line.  So, this line should also be considered by the hon. Railway Minister.

*English translation of the speech originally delivered  in Tamil.

            Coimbatore is the Manchester of South India and it is an emerging IT town.  At Ondiputhur in Coimbatore on the Tiruchi road a road over bridge is waiting for a long time to be completed.  The works pertaining to the approach roads on both sides have been completed, but the railways’ work to erect the road over bridge on the railway line is pending for a long time.  It is small piece of work.  The reason cited for its non-completion is that the contractor has gone away.  I want to ask of you as to why such contracts are given to irresponsible contractors?  When such contracts are offered, care must be taken to hand over work to responsible people who will take care to finish the work in a responsible manner.  Railways must also ensure that the materials needed for the completion of work must be given to the contractors in time.  Mayiladuthurai – Karaikudi, Pattukottai – Aranthangi, Thiruthurai – Poondi sections still remain as meter gauge sections.  The gauge conversion work is pending for a very long time now.  Survey works have been completed there.  Similarly, the railway line that links Madurai with Bodi is yet to go for gauge conversion.  With the completion of these pending projects, Tamil Nadu could get cent per cent broad gauge lines cover.  This needs to be completed because most of these railway lines have been laid by the Britishers.  Only then we can have uniform broad gauge network all over the country.  Hon’ble Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh had spelt out the need to boost our economy with exclusive Freight Corridors.  Eastern Corridor and Western Corridor linking Mumbai and Kolkata are on the anvil, but Chennai and South are yet to get one.  Since Tuticorin port is emerging as a major port in the region, we may go in for a Southern Corridor at least up to Chennai to begin with.  A new line Chennai, Kanchipuram via Sriperumbudur may be evolved considering the rapid industrial growth in that region.  The Rajiv Gandhi Memorial is also situated there.  Oddanchathiram town in my constituency is a very big market for vegetables and agriculturists around the area are sending their agro-produces to several parts of India.  As of now most of them rely on road transport paying heavily to lorry transporters.   If enhanced freight services by the railways are provided with refrigeration facilities, it would help the vegetable growers, the consumers as well as the Railways.  I urge upon the railways to set up a computerised railway reservation centre in Oddanchathiram.  70 per cent of our population rely on agriculture.  Hence, I urge upon you to take upon yourself to provide rail transport facility to move agricultural produce like vegetables and grains from one place to another which will help avoiding price rise.  This will be of help to small farmers and agriculturists to move agricultural produce from one place to another by railway trains.  Free rail passes for this specific purpose may be extended.  I request you to consider this.  With this, I conclude.