479 Matters Under Rule 377 DECEMBER 17,1991 Matters Under Rule 377 480 [Sh. Vishweshwar Bhagat] mapuri): Sr. Dharmapuri district being the most backward district of Tamil Nadu has no * railway line without its modernisation. Rather, proper rail facility. There are four major rail­ instead of merely modernising it, the metre- way stations in Dharmapuri, out of which gauge line should be converted into broad- Morappur, Buddiraddypatti and Kadathur are gauge so that the aforesaid districts may among the most important stations. Fast develop. Forest property, copper and miner­ express trains do not stop at Morappur. The als like manganese, dolomite etc. are found Kovai Express from Madras to Coimbatore in abundance here. Due to the absence of on its way possfoly touches all district head­ broad-gauge railway line these minerals are quarters, namely, Vellore , Salem, etc. but not being utilised properly. the train which runs through Dharmapuri during the day does not stop t Morappur. Therefore, my submission is that Chan- Consequent upon the electrification of the drapur-Jabalpur metre-gauge line should be Jolaipetai-Salem section, the engineers say converted into broad-gauge, it would con­ that the movement of trains on this section nect North India with southern parts of India has increased by 110 per cent and there is and reduce (he load on Nagpur-ltarsi railway no time constraint whatsoever on the trains. line. Five minutes can be very easily spread for Kovai Express to stop at Marappur. I, there­ (ill) Need to set up a new fore, urge upon the Government of India and food/frutt canning unit the Union Minister of Railways to take imme­ at Rajampet in Andhra diate steps to provide a halt for Kovai Ex­ Pradesh or enhance the press at Morappur in Dharmapuri district of capacity of the existing Tamil Nadu. unit there (v) Need to open a new [English] Railway division at Atwnedabad, Gujarat SHRI A. PRATAP SAI (Rajampet): Sir, every year Rs. 400 to Rs. 450 crores worth SHRI HARIN PATHAK (Ahmedabad): of fruits are being grown in Rajampet in Sir, the Government of Gujarat have put up Andhra Pradesh and are sent out of the Stat a proposal to Minister of Railways for the of various other places like Madras. Bom­ opening of new Railway Division at Ahme­ bay, Bangalore, Ahmedabad. etc. for proc­ dabad. The Minister has agreed in principle. essing and sale resulting in meagre return to However, new divisions have been created the farmers. Only a small food canning unit at Bhopal and Ambala but the request of , of the Government of Andhra Pradesh is Ahmedabad has not been entertained so far. functioning at Kodur with very small capac­ The proposal may be re-considered in view ity. Since there is vast scope of development of the following facts:- and employment potential. I urge upon the Government to encourage either private 1. That the present arrange­ sector to set up a canning unit here or ment of posting some high enhance the capacity of the existing unit and officers of Raflways at ensure that the farmers in this area are Ahmedabad is not enough benefited. to meet the present day requirements. (Iv) Need to provide a halt of Kovai Express at Morap- 2. The passenger as wett as pur in Dhargnpurf dis­ goods traffic is very heavy. trict, Tamil Nadu 3. At pr esent, Ahmedabad SHRI K.V THANGKABALU (Dhar- area lads within jurisdic-.