Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Aug 6: The officials of West Coast Railway Travellers Development Committee have extracted an assurance from the union minister of state for railways, K H Muniyappa, to extend the Mumbai-Karwar super fast train to the city, with effect from August 14. The minister also told the delegation of the committee that steps would be taken to modify the tri-weekly train between Bangalore and the city into a daily one, apart from extending it up to Karwar.
The members of the delegation, who met the minister in New Delhi on Wednesday August 4, were told by the minister that he would be flagging off the extended train on August 14 from the central railway station here. The promise, which came during the discussions the office bearers of the said association had with the minister in the company of Rajya Sabha member, Oscar Fernandes, has come as a big relief to the people living in the coast, who have been demanding for additional trains to Mumbai, where scores of families from here have settled down. The delegation also reportedly discussed various other problems faced by railway passengers in the coastal region.
Among others, the minister was also requested to run a mini-train with three compartments between Bhatkal and the city. The minister told the committee’s office bearers that he would consider the viability of meeting this demand. President of the committee, Hanumant Kamat, said that the minister, whose attention was drawn to the non-release of matching funds by the union government for the development of Byndoor railway station, promised to release the same soon. The state government has already released its share of four crore rupees for the purpose.
The delegation comprised vice president of the committee, Rajiv Gaonkar, Mookambika RailwayYatri Sangh president, K Venkatesh Kini, honorary president, Krishnaprasad Adyantaya, secretary, Jagadish Patwal, treasurer, Nagaraj Shet, and several others. The delegation also met MPs, D V Sadanand Gowda and Nalin Kumar Kateel and submitted memorandums.