Date:10/02/2006 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/02/10/stories/2006021000381300.htm

Back Coimbatore chamber pitches for infrastructure schemes

R.Y. Narayanan

"Though the Coimbatore region has been making a significant contribution to the Railways' freight and passenger traffic earnings, there is no matching response from the Railways."

Coimbatore , Feb. 9

THE Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Coimbatore, has sought the help of MPs from Tamil Nadu, including the Union Ministers from the State, to promote infrastructure development projects in the city.

ICCI's initiative comes after it had brought to the notice of the President, Mr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, the infrastructure bottlenecks in the city during his visit in July last year. Coimbatore has emerged as an outsourcing hub in the engineering sector. Mr A. Sakthivel, President, ICCI, said that though the Coimbatore region has been making a significant contribution to the Railways' freight and passenger traffic earnings, there is no matching response from the Railways. Work on the railway over bridge at Ondipudur and Ukkadam bye pass, which began two years back, has still not been completed. This has caused great inconvenience to road users, as they have to take long diversions. The Railways has assured that the work would be completed by July 2006. Mr Sakthivel called upon MPs to urge the Railway Ministry to stick to the deadline.

The ICCI President said the State Government has allowed the construction of a new railway over bridge near Hope College in Coimbatore. The work has to be jointly taken up by the Railways and the State PWD. Mr Sakthivel also pitched for converting the Coimbatore-Pollachi-Palani-Dindigul MG railway line into a broad gauge. He said a survey has been done for gauge conversion and a report has been sent to the Railway Board. He urged the MPs to ensure that the project is included in the coming Railway Budget.

Coimbatore, Podanur, Mettupalayam and Udhagamandalam must be brought under the Salem Railway Division, the ICCI President added.

The four-laning of National Highway 47 between Salem and Chengapalli (for which the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh laid the foundation recently) should be extended up to Coimbatore. This would improve the trade and business activities in the region, he pointed out.