Rs.40-cr allotted for Erode-Palani rail link

Tirupur: Providing a ray of hope to the long pending demand for a new railway route connecting Erode with Palani via Dharapuram, Kangayam in Tirupur district, the Central Government has earmarked Rs.40 crore for this fiscal (2010-11) towards the project.

Divisional Railway Manager P.N. Ram told The Hindu that the amount would be utilised for land acquisition and for commencement of work.

Though the necessary surveys of the estimated Rs.500-crore project was completed at an outlay of Rs.2.78 crore a few years ago, the scheme did not move any further owing to lack of any fresh allocation in the last four fiscals till the recent announcement.

Meeting

The office-bearers of Erode-Dharapuram-Palani Railway Extension Citizens Committee, which had been fighting for long to bring the project to the light, had met senior railway officials including Chief Administrative Officer (construction) at the office of Southern Railways General Manager in Chennai on Monday in an attempt to expedite the 91-km-long line planned in the sector.