The Hindu Business Line : MPs tell Centre to set up proposed convention centre in Thiruvananthapuram

MEMBERS of Parliament (MPs) representing the State have urged the Centre to select Thiruvananthapuram for basing one of the two international convention centres promised by the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, during an earlier visit, at an estimated cost of Rs 500 crore.

According to Mr V.S. Sivakumar, who represents the Thiruvananthapuram Parliament constituency, a memorandum to this effect has been submitted to both the Prime Minister and the Union Minister for Tourism.

In doing so, the MPs were also taking forward a proposal for a convention centre in the city submitted earlier by the State Government. MPs from the southern districts have in turn requested for a financial assistance of Rs 1,000 crore for the proposed Rs 4,500-crore container trans-shipment terminal project at nearby Vizhinjam and inclusion of the same in the Sagarmala project.

A memorandum to this effect was also submitted to the Prime Minister and the Union Shipping Minister, Mr Shatrughan Sinha. The MPs urged Mr Sinha to take necessary steps to set up a maritime academy in Vizhinjam during the 10th Five-Year Plan period and to extend the Kottapuram-Kollam stretch of the National Waterway to Kovalam.

A third memorandum was submitted to the Union Surface Transport Minister, Mr B.C. Khanduri, to upgrade the Kazhakuttom-Kanyakumari stretch of NH 47 to four-lane traffic.

Among other demands placed before the Minister were construction of the Thiruvananthapuram-Kattakada-Kottur-Ambasamudram road, Budgetary allocation for the Neyyatinkara Byepass and development of the Kazhakuttom-Kanyakumari road as model road.

The Union Minister for Health, Ms Sushma Swaraj, has been urged to provide financial assistance of Rs 12 crore for the development of the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, the Ayurveda College and the Homoeo Medical Colleges.

In a memorandum to the Union Railway Minister, Mr Nitish Kumar, the MPs demanded expedited completion of electrification work on the Thiruvanan- thapuram-Ernakulam section, doubling of the Thiruvananthapuram-Kollam track, Budgetary allocation of Rs 12 crore for the satellite railway terminal at Veli and upgradation of the Nemom and Parassala railway stations.

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