Thaindian News

Palakkad (Kerala), Feb 21 (IANS) Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi Tuesday said he was awaiting a report from Sam Pitroda, adviser to the prime minister on public infrastructure, information and innovations, on steps for modernisation of the railways.

He said this while laying the foundation stone of a coach factory in Kerala’s Palakkad city.

The factory, announced a couple of years ago, would come up near here over an area of 426 acres. More than 100 ancillary industrial units would also be set up near it.

“We are going to use the latest technology to manufacture light weight energy efficient aluminium railway coaches. This is not just going to be a coach factory alone but it would have other facilities like educational institutions, hospitals and other amenities,” said Trivedi.

There was earlier a controversy over distribution of invitations for the function. Leader of opposition V.S. Achuthanandan said Monday that he would not attend the function because he was not invited in a respectable manner.

He said even though the factory was to come up in his Malampuzha assembly area, Tuesday’s ceremony was held outside his constituency.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said that it was unfortunate that there was a controversy over the invitation for the function.

“In the first phase, 400 coaches would be manufactured annually and once the project was completed the number would rise to 600 coaches,” said Chandy.