PMK stir for Erode-Palani rail project

PMK cadres led by party former state deputy general secretary Parameswaran and central district secretary A Prabhu staged  a demonstration in front of the Erode railway station urging railways to carry out long pending Erode-Palani rail project.

Prabu said that the project was sanctioned by UPA -I rule led by Dr Manmohan Singh and fund was allotted in UPA-II rule.  Land survey work was  completed and boundary stones were also laid with allocation of some fund in the union railway budget also by the then railway minister Mamata Banerjee .  But, due to the opposition of some ryots associations who feared that the lands of ryots would be taken away, the project was dropped.  

The project would, however, help improve the most backward Chennimalai, Dharapuram and Kangayam areas and link the pilgrim centres Sivanmalai, Chennimalai with Palani. It would help tourists of Kerala, coming to Palani, to visit Erode easily. So,  the scheme would help improve the economy of textile hubs-Erode, Tirupur and Chennimalai and rice and coconut oil trade of Kangayam and Dharapuram and vegetable trade of Mettupalayam. 

In simple terms, it would ensure more growth in Erode, Tirupur and Dindigul districts where the train would pass and help ryots to transport their farm goods to various areas at less cost. In fact, even during the British Raj, a survey was held and boundary stones were laid to link Erode with Dharapuram.

Like Erode-Palani  rail project, 10 major rail projects were kept in cold storage for the past many years in TN. To insist the Centre to carry out all such projects, similar stir was  held in many districts, he added.