Ramadoss has insisted that a special plan should be made and funds allocated to complete all the pending train projects in Tamil Nadu in the next 5 years.
In his social media post in this regard, he said, “It is shocking that the funds allocated for the railway projects being implemented in Tamil Nadu have been drastically reduced in the revised financial report as compared to the interim financial report. When there is a need to speed up the railway projects that have been shelved for a long time in Tamil Nadu, it is reprehensible that instead of increasing the financial allocation for the same, it has been reduced.
While Rs 875 crore had been earmarked in the interim financial statement for new rail projects, the revised financial statement has only allocated Rs. Only 246 crores have been allocated. This is a 70% reduction. The allocation for Tindivanam-Nagari New Line project has been reduced from Rs 350 crore to Rs 153 crore and for Dharmapuri-Morapur project from Rs 115 crore to Rs 49 crore. The Rs 100 crore earmarked for the Dindivanam – Tiruvannamalai New Line project, the Rs 25 crore earmarked for the Chennai – Puducherry – Cuddalore East Coast Railway project and the Rs 150 crore earmarked for the three double track projects have been reduced to just Rs 1000 crore each. This cannot be accepted.
The pending rail projects in Tamil Nadu were announced when members of the Proletarian People’s Party were Ministers of State for Railways. It was with the objective of promoting all-round development in the most backward northern districts that the Bamaka campaigned for. However, funds have not been allocated for these projects for a period of 15 years. While the allocation of some funds in the Interim Financial Statement was comforting, the reduction of the same will cause a major setback in the development of railway infrastructure in Tamil Nadu.
Rail projects can lead to the development of the entire country through states and states. Development of the country cannot be ensured by neglecting the implementation of serial transport schemes for a state. On the one hand, the central government is allocating very little funds, on the other hand, the state government is delaying the acquisition of the required land for the project. In this matter, both the governments should stop blaming each other and take steps to complete the work quickly.
I urge the central government to formulate a special plan to complete all the pending train projects in Tamil Nadu in the next 5 years and allocate funds accordingly,” he said.
