{"id":34100,"date":"2014-10-13T22:29:15","date_gmt":"2014-10-14T02:29:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=34100"},"modified":"2014-10-13T23:29:55","modified_gmt":"2014-10-14T03:29:55","slug":"large-crowds-greet-train-service-re-launched-in-jaffna-by-president-rajapaksa-but-chief-minister-wigneswaran-is-absent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=34100","title":{"rendered":"Large Crowds Greet Train Service Re-launched in Jaffna by President Rajapaksa but Chief Minister Wigneswaran is absent."},"content":{"rendered":"

By<\/p>\n

Meera Srinivasan<\/strong><\/p>\n

Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran stayed away from a ceremony on Monday in which President Mahinda Rajapaksa re-launched train services to Jaffna. <\/p>\n

\"AP<\/a>

AP pic-courtesy: via The Hindu<\/p><\/div>\n

\"pic<\/a>

pic via: facebook.com\/PresidentRajapaksa<\/p><\/div>\n

\"pic<\/a>

pic via: twitter.com\/AzzamAmeen<\/p><\/div>\n

When contacted, Mr. Wigneswaran told The Hindu: \u201cOur letter to President refers to our keeping away from all functions he is staging in the Northern Province,\u201d referring to an October 10 letter, in which he said the Sri Lankan government had carried out consultations in the North without informing the Provincial Council.<\/p>\n

A huge crowd gathered on Monday morning to see the special train that chugged into the reconstructed Jaffna station, nearly 25 years after the island\u2019s civil war destroyed the region\u2019s rail network.<\/p>\n

President Rajapaksa flagged off the train at Pallai, about 40 km from Jaffna, and travelled in it along with several Ministers and his brother Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

People lined up at different spots along the 40 km-stretch from Pallai to Jaffna and waved, even as some others showed their children the first train to arrive in the town in almost a quarter century.<\/p>\n

Indian Railways\u2019 subsidiary IRCON has rebuilt the stretch \u2014 damaged during the war \u2014 as part of the Indian government\u2019s $800 million line of credit to restore select railway lines in the island, predominantly in its Tamil-majority Northern Province.<\/p>\n

The coaches used for the launch were made in China. India has supplied 60 coaches, but Sri Lanka is considering sourcing additional coaches from China to take advantage of the newly-laid tracks capable of facilitating speeds of up to 120 km per hour, it is reliably learnt.<\/p>\n

Terming the Northern railway line a \u201ccrucial link for people of Sri Lanka\u201d, IRCON Chairman and Managing Director Mohan Tiwari said the company has submitted two proposals to the Sri Lankan government to upgrade tracks in some stretches and lay additional tracks.<\/p>\n

Ahead of the President\u2019s visit, Sri Lanka\u2019s military banned foreigners from travelling to the island\u2019s former war zone, officials and diplomatic sources said on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Foreigners were turned back at Omanthai, the army-controlled entry point to the Northern Province, an AFP report said. Amid concerns over heavy militarisation of the Northern Province, army officials said the travel ban had been in place since Friday and was in the \u201cnational interest\u201d.<\/p>\n

Following the launch of the Yal Devi, Mr. Rajapaksa chaired a meeting in Jaffna to review developmental works in the district. On Tuesday, he will proceed to Delft, an island off Jaffna peninsula, to inaugurate new projects. Earlier on Sunday, he addressed a public meeting in Kilinochchi. <\/p>\n

Courtesy:The Hindu<\/em><\/p>\n

Tweet<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Meera Srinivasan Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran stayed away from a ceremony on Monday in which President Mahinda Rajapaksa re-launched train services to Jaffna. When contacted, Mr. Wigneswaran told The Hindu: \u201cOur letter to President refers to our keeping away from all functions he is staging in the Northern Province,\u201d referring to an …<\/p>\n

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