The Krishnagiri Rail, Bus Passengers Sangam has appealed to Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to urge the Union Government to take up the long-pending Rs. 687.92-crore Jolarpet-Hosur broad gauge rail line project pending with the Railway Board.
In a petition submitted to the Chief Minister through Minister for Municipal Administration and Rural Development K.P. Munusamy, the Sangam urged the State Government to pressurise Centre as the project will stimulate the economic development of the district.
Over 2,000 industries, lakhs of people from different parts of the southern Tamil Nadu and Kerala would be benefited if the new rail line comes into existence, it said. The office-bearers told The Hindu that they were invited by the Minister to come to Chennai to discuss about the project before taking up the matter with the Chief Minister.
E.N. Mani, secretary of the Sangam, also enclosed a letter received from R. Ramanahan, Chief Administrative Officer, Southern Railways dated February 2, 2011. In his letter, Mr. Ramanathan had stated that the project cost was revised to Rs. 687.92-crore and sent for the decision of the Railway Board.
The Sangam staged a series of agitations jointly with the various traders' associations urging the Union Government to include the project in the last Railway Budget.
