The Hindu Business Line : Foodgrain merchants welcome Rly survey

THE Tamilnadu Foodgrains Merchants Association has welcomed the commissioning of the survey on Tuticorin-Chengalpattu double line project by the Southern Railway.

In a statement here, the Association Secretary, Mr P. Subash Chandra Bose, said the initiative vindicated the claim of the Association that the passenger traffic in the sector has exponentially been increasing.

The passenger flow on this route, which was 15.6 lakhs in year 2001-02 has grown multi-fold and reached 65.7 lakhs in year 2004-05.

It may also be noted that many infrastructural project such as Sethusamudram Canal Project, Special Economy Zone at Naguneri, Software Technological Park at Madurai, upgradation of Madurai Airport into an International Airport and the proposal for setting up Aviation University in Madurai etc, are on the anvil. Doubling of rail line in this sector will provide necessary impetus to the trade and industry in addition to giving a boost to tourism in this region.

The Association while welcoming further the proposal to enhance the period for tatkal booking from one day to three days, has urged the ministry to book only 50 per cent seats under this new scheme.

Booking for the balance 50 per cent seats may be reserved as it was being done as per the existing scheme so as to facilitate the passengers who had to travel without prior plan owing to various emergencies, it has added.

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