Kerala - Kozhikode   

Rail budget evokes mixed reaction

KOZHIKODE: The railway budget evoked mixed reactions from merchants organisations here.

The Malabar Chamber of Commerce welcomed the budget proposals, with its president P.V. Gangadharan announcing “our State has never received so many benefits from Railways.” But the Calicut Chamber of Commerce and Industry was more guarded in its response as its secretary A.M. Sherief remarked the budget had fallen short of expectations though it did contain many benefits to the State.

Welcoming the proposals, Mr. Gangadharan said the train users owed a special word of thanks to the UPA government, particularly to Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee and Minister of State for Railways E. Ahamed.

Mr. Gangadharan expressed deep appreciation for the budgetary proposals in general and the sanctioning of eight new trains to the State. The extension of Thiruvananthapuram- Ernakulam Jansatabdi Express to Kozhikode, and the Bangalore-Mangalore train to Kannur had been long standing demands of the Malabar Chamber of Commerce and its Malabar Train Action Committee.

On behalf of the Malabar Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Gangadharan also thanked the Railway Minister for her proposal to utilise Railway land to set up commercial complexes since “it had also been a long standing demand of Malabar Chamber.”

However, he noted that not enough funds had been provided in the budget for doubling of Mangalore-Shoranur track and for electrification of rail lines.

The Chamber urged the government to speed up land acquisition for the coach factory in Palakkad and the wagon factory in Cherthala.

The Calicut Chamber of Commerce and Industry wondered why the Kozhikode railway station had not been included in the list of stations that were to be modernised to international standards, a privilege granted to the stations in Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam.

It was also disappointed that the Thiruvananthapuram-Palakkad Amrita Express had not been extended to Kozhikode and the tri-weekly Kannur-Yashwantpur Express had not been made a daily service. It was also unhappy that the budget had not sanctioned proposals for the Nanjangud-Mysore rail line and the Tanur-Guruvayur rail link.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Advances in dermatology in focus
Tribal healing camp begins tomorrow
Schoolchildren injured in accident
Minister reviews steps to contain fever
Rail budget evokes mixed reaction
Malabar package for paddy soon
Chandy, Kunhalikutty hail rail budget
KSSP objects to terms of accord

Copyright © 2009, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu