Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur
Kundapur, Oct 12: In a significant development for local devotees, the Tirupati train service, previously operating only to Mangaluru, has been extended to Murdeshwar, with its inaugural run taking place on Vijayadashami day of Saturday, October 12. Passengers from three coastal districts greeted the train with great enthusiasm as it arrived in Kundapura for the first time.
Kundapura MLA Kiran Kumar Kodgi celebrated the fulfillment of a long-standing demand, crediting the success to the efforts of MPs, ministers, and the railway passenger committee. “May many people benefit from this service,” he expressed.
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B Appanna Hegde, a representative of the Basrur Shri Mahalingeshwara Temple, also shared his gratitude, stating, “Today, a long-awaited demand has been met. Many devotees from this region travel to Tirupati, and this train service will greatly enhance convenience.”
He acknowledged George Fernandes, the initiator of Konkan Railways, and praised Union Minister of State for Railways V Somanna and MP Kota Srinivasa Poojari for their efforts in launching this direct train service.
Other notable attendees included Radhakrishna Shenoi, managing trustee of Shri Venkataramana Temple, Shriramana Upadhyaya from Anagudde Shri Vinayaka Temple, former member Suresh from the Kotilingeshwara Temple Management Committee, Ganesh Putran, president of the railway passengers' welfare committee, vice presidents Rajesh Kaveri and Padmanabh Shenai, director Vivek Nayak, members Praveen Kumar, Gautam Shetty, Joy Karwalo, Sudhakar Shetty Huntike, Nagaraja Achaar, Raju Mogaveera, Raghavendra Shett, Uday Bhandarkar, Dharmaprakash, K K Kanchan from the Rotary Club, Ganapati T Shriyan from the Red Cross, Eknath Bolar from the Lions Club, Kalpana Bhasker from Clean Kundapura, Saraswati Putran, Bhaskar Poojari, and BJP leaders Prithviraj Billadi and Sourabh Pai, among others.as well as various members of the railway passengers’ welfare committee and local organisations.