COIMBATORE: The Chettipalayam town panchayat administration has agreed to provide an estimated Rs 49 lakh for the construction of railway station in the village.
They submitted a letter of assurance to the Southern Railway recently, as per which the amount would be handed over within seven months by mobilising fund through private contribution.
Local residents led by MDMK cadre staged several protests demanding a railway halt at Chettipalayam. They also submitted many memorandums to railway officials in the past two years. It may be noted that earlier trains used to stop at Chettipalayam.
Based on their demand, the Southern Railway came forward to reopen the railway halt under Shradhan scheme, as per which the local body should bear the expenses for constructing a railway station at the area.
As per the proposal, the local panchayat has to provide an estimated expenditure of Rs 49 lakh. Recently, the Chettipalayam town panchayat submitted an acceptance letter to the Salem Divisional Railway office.
Chettipalayam town panchayat president, Umarani Panjalingam, said, “We have mobilised most of the fund required and remaining would be compensated with the panchayat's general fund.”