Golden Rock Workshop – Modernisation

The Railway Workshop – an iconic entity in ponmalai – is getting modernised.

I don’t remember this happening for a long time. But whenever I go between Chennai and Trichy by train,  Golden Rock workshop is the reminder for me to pick up my bags and get ready to depart in TPJ. But also, sometimes, the trains will stop in Golden Rock due to non-availability of signal to get into TPJ and it will just frustrate me like crazy. So I have no choice but to stare at the Golden Rock workshops till the train starts.

Coming back to modernisation, I always thought that the railway infrastructure that we have in India is among the best. Considering after seeing how railways are poorly utilised in US and Gulf countries, ( Europe is awesome) , I wish we can supply and service many countries with our expertise in Railways.

As part of GoldenRock modernisation plan ,

• bulk of the funds amounting to Rs. 68.78 crore would be spent for acquiring modern mechanical equipment and replacement of the old machines, while Rs. 15.14 crore would be utilised for augmenting infrastructure facilities and repairs of structures under ‘civil’ works.

• As part of the technological upgrade plan, a modern laboratory will be established at a cost of Rs. 2.5 crore inside the workshop for material testing which is at present being done in Chennai.

• A special purpose multi-station machine –‘PAMA’ – costing Rs. 40 crore for carrying out repairs of engine blocks; a robotic welding system with automation and portable plasma profile cutting machine are some of the major advanced equipment to be procured under the modernisation.

• The three Traversors, which are the lifeline of the workshop, would be replaced and the Basic Training Centre upgraded.
• Work on the huge shed inside the workshop to accommodate high horsepower General Motors locomotives would be completed before July.

 

Air India Express – Trichy – AbuDhabi

Air India Express launched its twice a week ( Thursday and Saturday) flight connecting Trichy and AbuDhabi .

The flight will depart Chennai at 12.50 p.m. and arrive here at 1.40 p.m. It would leave for Abu Dhabi at 2.30 p.m.

In the return direction, the flight will arrive at Tiruchi from Abu Dhabi at 11.55 p.m. and depart for Chennai at 12.50 a.m. It will reach Chennai at 1.40 a.m.

The airline offers attractive one way fare starting from Rs.6,439 from Tiruchi to Abu Dhabi.

 

Exnora spreading its wings

Exnora in Trichy has brought quite a few changes to the Trichy city with their handling of cleanliness issues. Now they are opening a branch in Valanthai Village in Andimadam taluk  in ariyalur.

The opening of the branch was preceded by health and hygiene promotion activities undertaken for many months by the youth with guidance from Tiruchi Exnora. According to R. Santhanam, Joint Secretary, Tiruchi District Exnora, mass cleaning of the village was undertaken once in three months. The simultaneous planting of saplings now adds greenery to the village.

An Exnora garbage collection push cart, hearse vehicle, freezer box and an ambulance of Tiruchi District Exnora were entrusted to the new branch. Also , Note books, bags, prizes and scholarships were distributed to meritorious students of valanthai from the village community development fund.

Keep the good things coming, Exnora.

 

Trichy poised for Real Estate growth

With the doom and gloom world over encompassing the real estate market, smart / shrewd players in real estate are moving in to take on stakes in markets with potential especially in Tier II cities in India. One such investment is being planned by Fire Capital, a global private equity fund. It is planning to invest up-to $500 million over the next five years in various tier II cities including Trichy. No specific project information is released . But even if the piece of the investment is small, it is an encouraging sign to see that Trichy figuring in such plans.

 

IIM Trichy Starts next year

IIM Trichy starts classes from next academic year in its BHEL campus. The administrative office for IIM will be set in MHD building. ( I beg to ask why ? Can’ t they have a building of their own. ) .

The institute campus will come up in a 200-acre site given by the Tamil Nadu government which is in the premises of Bharathidasan University, close to Anna University-Tiruchi on Pudukottai road, 18 km from the town.  The IIM-Tiruchi was one among the six institutes sanctioned by the HRD ministry in March 2008, as part of 11th five-year plan.  Until, IIM tricy can move to the new site  and stand on its own, IIM-Bangalore has been vested with the responsibility of mentoring IIM-Tiruchi.

Good. .We have Anna University, NIT , BIM and IIM.. and also some of the great existing colleges and universities.

 

Internship Opportunities for Final Year Students

Any final year students, who are in final year B.Sc, MCA,BCA,BE, BTech, CS & IT students looking for Internship programmes in IT software and services programme can go to the following link and get more details.  One of the location for Internship is Trichy.

http://www.indianinternship.com/2009/02/internship-programme-for-final-year.html

 

Highway NH 45 improves

The road travel between Trichy and Chennai became little bit more convenient with the opening of the 4 lane highway between padalur and Valikandapuram as part of NH 45. It should reduce accidents and travel time. The 31 km stretch has 2 lanes on either side with a median in between. The road also include two pedestrian underpasses in padalur and Valikandapuram.

This should improve the traffic especially commercial ones and also reduce the fear of the passengers whenever the buses and trucks do their magic weaving in the road to avoid each other.

 

New Terminal ready to Open in Trichy

After so many false starts, it looks like the new terminal in Trichy Airport will finally open for public. The date is set at Feb 21st. This is a 11,700 Sq.Ft facility ( 7000sq.ft ground floor and 4700 Sq.ft first floor) with 3 moving platforms / Escalators and  5 Lifts for passenger comforts. It will have 13 Inspection and 16 immigration portals with 300 car parking lot outside. The terminal is 99% ready. So the plan is to open the terminal now ( there is an election coming, you see) and complete the other remaining work later.

Hopefully, this time it will happen. But Let’s wait and see.

Source: Dinamani

 

A great social event in Trichy

Kongathiraiyanpatti, 40kms from Pudukkotai has become a good example on how changing some ways and taking some risks along with some fresh thinking will help a society to thrive.

In Kongathiraiyanpatti, basically a rain-fed area, the farmers grew paddy and groundnut. Around 35 wells in the village catered to both drinking and irrigation needs. But with the monsoon playing hide and seek and a callous local administration, exodus began with people selling their lands for throw away prices. A Swedish based Organisation, Kudumbum, helped this village to radically change their way of living by advising them to change their crops from paddy and  groundnut ( which require a lots of water) to millets and pulses ( which are suitable for dry areas). Looks like they faced some initial skepticism from the locals but after some persuasion, the plans started rolling and now they are bearing fruits. The organisation also helped them to plant lots of trees with the consultation of the locals in order to stem water erosion and increase conservation.

Such Stories are very heartwarming and also provide an example of doing something and not blaming the inept government for everything. 

Read the full story in this article in The Hindu.

 

Road improvement (?) in Trichy

It is that time of the year again. Rainy season is winding down. So it is time to dig up the roads again. About 95 kms of Trichy roads are going to be relaid ( for umpteenth time) under a project funded by a German Dev Bank. Many major roads are going to be part of this project and they will have drains in the side of the roads.

I am not sure whether there is any clause in the contract / tender etc. which stipulates that the roads should have atleast some lifetime which is longer than a year.  Until, then Govt construction will always have a boom in TN.

Arghh!!