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NT Bureau
Chennai, Feb 9:

        Former Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa has announced that her party plans to hold demonstrations in Salem on 11 February and in Coimbatore on 12 February against the railways for its 'continued neglect' of Coimbatore district.

        In a statement here, Jayalalithaa said the district has trade links with various other districts and northern States and the trade has been increasing by the day. But, Southern Railways has been neglecting it, she said.

        She said Olavakot in Kerala was the headquarters for Southern Railway for a long time and it covered Coimbatore, Erode, Salem and Namakkal but all the benefits went to Kerala.

        It may be recalled that after a long struggle, Olavakot division was bifurcated and Salem was to be the new headquarters as was announced two years ago by the Union government. Six months ago, the preparatory work commenced but this has been protested by the Kerala government in the last 15 days in the form of stir and demonstrations.

        It is to be noted that in the Palakad division of the Southern Railways Coimbatore, Erode, Salem and Tiruppur towns earn more revenue to the railways. But with only municipal status Palakad is the place where the division office is located. The facilities at Palakad railway station are comparatively lesser than in Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode and Salem stations. So, Salem division has to be opened as was announced and road extension work in Coimbatore district has to be expedited and work on unfinished railway bridges has to be taken up.

        To press for these demands, the statement said, the AIADMK had announced demonstrations. Party's organising secretary - Coimbatore S Semmalai would lead the protest in Salem city, Salem suburbs in west and east. While in Coimbatore city, Coimbatore north, south, Erode north, Erode south and Uthagamandalam district, party headquarters secretary K A Sengottaiyan would be leading the demonstration, the statement said.