The Palakkad Railway Division is awaiting the final confirmation of the date of the foundation stone-laying for the Railway Coach Factory at Kanjikode.
Sources in the Railways said the two tentative dates given are February 21 and 24. They said the Division was awaiting a directive from the Railway headquarters on the date, venue and the participants for the inaugural function.
A confirmation from Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is also awaited. Sources said the Chief Minister was keen that the stone-laying ceremony be held in February itself. Mr. Chandy is scheduled to visit the district on Saturday and the date is likely to be announced during his visit.
The project became a reality with the Union Cabinet approving it on Wednesday as a joint venture to manufacture 400 coaches annually at an estimated cost of Rs..550 crore excluding the cost of the land. The State government had handed over 431 acres of land at Kanjikode for the coach factory. However, the Railways decided to buy only 239 acres from the State government for the project.
Last week Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had met Union Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi in New Delhi for getting Central approval for the project and fixing the date for foundation stone-laying.
The Railway Division here has suggested three venues for the function — Kendriya Vidyalaya, Kanjikode, Fort Maidan and the Railway grounds at the Railway Colony.
The Civil Engineering, Electrical and Communication wings of the Divisional are making arrangements to put up the stage and other facilities. The list of invitees is being prepared by the Public Relations wing of the Division. Sources said all arrangements would be in place within a week of the announcement.
Kanjikode Industries Forum (KIF) president M. Paramasivam said the coach factory was vital for the overall development of the State, particularly the backward district of Palakkad. It will also bring hundreds of ancillary industries and provide employment to thousands of people. The former president of KIF K. Pankajakshan said Industry was looking forward to setting up of the coach factory. It will make Palakkad the new industrial investment destination of the State as a number of ancillary industries will haveto be set up to provide spare parts and other facilities.
The coach factory and the second unit of BEML Ltd, formerly Bharat Earth Movers Ltd, a Mini-ratna company under the Defence Ministry, for which 600 acres of land was acquired adjacent to its
first unit will make the Kanjikode-Pudussery-Walayar industrial belt the new investment destination in the State, he said.
