DHARMAPURI: The Railways has been urged to construct an underpass in Jothihalli village in Chettihalli Panchayat of Dharmapuri district. A petition in this regard was submitted to the Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw by A Mani, the Member of Parliament (MP) from Dharmapuri, on Thursday.
In his meeting with the minister, the MP who met also sought the South Western Railway to make Gummanur railway station operational by allowing halt for trains. The station was discontinued 10 years ago.
For the past 65 years, the residents here have been seeking an underpass as the railway line has cut off nearly two-thirds of the village, making transportation impossible.
In a press statement, Mani informed, "Jothihalli villagers had previously boycotted the Lok Sabha election in protest over the lack of a railway underpass. The village is cut off from roads by the railway line. Emergency vehicles like ambulances or fire engines cannot reach the village in case of an emergency. Further students cross this railway line to reach school which is also dangerous. Hence we demanded the immediate construction of a railway underpass."
Regarding the Gummanur railway station, the MP said "The station was operational 10 years ago, but it was shut later on as it did not have enough passengers. However, there is a need now, as people in the vicinity often travel to Bengaluru for work or business. Hence we requested the Railways minister to ensure all trains passing through Gummanur stop here for at least two to three minutes."