Diversion of fund sought

By S. Vydhianathan

CHENNAI, JAN. 10. With the increasing traffic on the Chennai- Arakkonam section, Southern Railway has sought the State Government's help in laying an additional line from Pattabiram to Arakkonam.

There are four lines from Chennai to Pattabiram with two dedicated lines for EMUs, three lines from Pattabiram to Tiruvellore and two lines from there to Arakkonam. In the absence of dedicated lines beyond Pattabiram, Southern Railway is forced to run EMU services along with main line and goods trains, which often results in operational problems for the administration.

Due to resource crunch, the Railway Ministry is not able to find sufficient funds for increasing the line strength on this section. In the current year's budget too, the Ministry sanctioned a meagre sum that too for conducting a survey for a third line from Tiruvellore to Arakkonam.

Realising that it will take several years to complete the project if it is to depend upon the Ministry's fund, Southern Railway has now written to the State Government.

In a letter to the Chief Secretary recently, Southern Railway while thanking the Government for sharing the 50 per cent cost of the Chennai Beach-Tambaram suburban conversion, has requested that a similar funding arrangement could be extended to Pattabiram-Arakkonam section also.

For the funding project, Southern Railway suggested that a portion of the fund allotted for the Cuddalore-Virudhachalam- Salem conversion by the State Government could be reappropriated for the additional line.

To justify its request for diversion of fund, Southern Railway referred to a report by the Central Committee for Economic Affairs (CCEA), which had not given clearance for Virudhachalam- Salem conversion but sanctioned the Cuddalore-Virudhachalam section. Southern Railway felt that the fund available for Salem- Virudhachalam section could be utilised for the Chennai-Arakkonam section.

It is learnt that the State Government had deposited Rs 120 crores for the gauge conversion.

As the operating percentage on the Chennai-Arakkonam section is of the order of 140 per cent, Southern Railway felt that there was a pressing need for an additional line.

According to sources in Southern Railway, the project i.e. fourth line from Pattabiram to Tiruvellore and a third line from there to Arakkonam would cost less than Rs 50 crores as enough land is available for laying the additional lines. If the State Government is agreeable to the proposal, the project could be completed within three years, the sources added.

The State Government has referred the letter to the Finance Department for its remarks, according to official sources.

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Section  : Southern States
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