The Marumalarchi Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam (MTMMK) has announced that the party would begin a sustained protest if the much-delayed work on the rail over bridge (ROB) at Kulavanigarpuram manned level crossing was not started immediately.
In a petition submitted to Collector M. Karunakaran on Monday, the party cadre said the public, especially school going children and critically ill patients being rushed to hospitals in ambulances suffered as the manned level crossing at Kulavanigarpuram was closed 13 times daily. Consequently, this caused traffic snarls between Florence Swainson Higher Secondary School for the Deaf and Palayamkottai bus-stand whenever the gate was closed.
When the Centre and the State Governments decided eight years ago to construct a ROB at this point and fund was subsequently allotted, a few individuals, whose business establishments and houses would get affected by the construction of the bridge, had approached the court and had got a stay.
After legal impediments were cleared, the project cost was not revised though the contractor chosen for this project was demanding a upward revision of the cost due to inflation.
“Since this delay is causing hardship to the public, especially school students, working women and patients being rushed to the hospitals in the ambulances, the State and the Centre should allocate sufficient funds for constructing the ROB at Kulavanigarpuram manned level crossing. If the project is further delayed, the MTMMK will start staging struggle in a sustained fashion until the work begins,” said Raool Maideen of MTMMK.
