Date:17/02/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/02/17/stories/2008021758440300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi

Declare Tiruchi a joint capital of State, says CPI

Special Correspondent

Sections of Secretariat could be shifted

— Photo: R. Ashok.

CALL: A section of CPI cadres at the party’s district conference in Tiruchi on Saturday.

TIRUCHI: The district unit of the Communist Party of India (CPI) has urged the State government to declare Tiruchi as a joint capital of Tamil Nadu.

Given its central location in the State, some of the departments and some sections of the State Secretariat could be shifted to Tiruchi, a resolution adopted at the district conference of the party being held here said.

The party also urged the Railway Ministry to introduce a suburban electric train system. With increasing congestion in road traffic, office-goers, farmers, workers and school students were facing hardship in commuting between the City and the suburban areas such as Tiruverambur, Thuvakudi and Golden Rock. A suburban train system was essential to link the peripheries with the City.

Through another resolution, the party demanded the upgrading of the K.A.P.Viswanatham Government Medical College Hospital on par with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. The shifting of the Rs.120 project, proposed earlier, to Salem has caused much disappointment among the people. The Centre should allot adequate funds to upgrade the Tiruchi hospital too.

The party urged the State government to allot adequate funds to implement the proposed flood prevention project for Tiruchi City. Though repeated announcements were being made on mega projects to prevent flooding, the scheme has failed to take off yet, it regretted.

The conference also demanded the implementation of Sethusamudram project and condemned communal forces for attempting to sabotage the project and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazham for supporting such attempts. It urged the Union government to withdraw the hike in prices of petroleum products as it would adversely affect the common man.

Earlier, the CPI national committee member A.M.Gopu hoisted the party flag and addressed the conference. State executive committee member G.Palanisamy, district secretary M.Selvaraj, deputy secretaries T.Indrajit and V.Ganesan, reception committee chairman K.Suresh and others spoke.