Members of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam were removed by the police on Friday, when they attempted to stage a rail blockade at Podanur Junction demanding improvement to rail infrastructure.
The cadre led by party’s State Youth Secretary V. Easwaran were blocked at the railway station entrance. The cadre demanded allocation of funds for gauge conversion of the Podanur – Pollachi section, revival of the stations at Chettippalayam, Nallatipalayam, and Koilpalayam, and introduction of overnight express trains to Chennai and Bangalore from Podanur and extending it up to Pollachi after the gauge conversion was completed.
The trains should be run via Coimbatore, they added.
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The demonstrators also urged the State Government to make use of schemes where the State could get a railway project implemented by contributing 50 per cent of the project cost as share of the State. They said that at present 5,000 km long railway projects numbering 31 were being implemented in 10 States. But, not a single project was in Tamil Nadu.