• Inaugurates Jan Aushadhi Kendra at Mysuru City Railway Station
• Flags off second Vande Bharat Express train from Mysuru to Chennai 
• MP Prathap Simha unveils plaques at Inland Container Depot in Kadakola

Mysore/Mysuru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today virtually inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for railway projects worth Rs. 1,06,000 crore, including the Multi-Modal Logistics Park (MMLP) or Inland Container Depot (ICD) at Kadakola near Thandavapura in Nanjangud taluk of Mysuru district and launched 10 new Vande Bharat trains including the Mysuru-Dr. MGR Central (Chennai) Vande Bharat Express.

He inaugurated 50 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendras at various Railway Stations, including Mysuru. These centres will provide high-quality generic medicines, surgical equipment and other healthcare essentials at reduced prices, making cost-effective healthcare accessible to Railway passengers and the general public.

After visiting the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) Operation Control Centre in Ahmedabad, the PM launched the projects from Sabarmati at Ahmedabad in Gujarat.

The Prime Minister said his Government undertakes developmental works as part of its mission to build the nation and not to win elections as perceived by some people.

“Some people try to look at our efforts through the electoral lens. Let me tell you that we undertake developmental works as part of a mission to build the nation, not to form a Government (by winning elections). We want to ensure that our youths do not suffer what their past generations suffered. This is Modi’s guarantee,” he said.

The Prime Minister Modi said that in the last 10 years, his Government spent around six times more on the development of railways than what was done earlier.

“In just over two months of 2024, we have inaugurated and laid the foundation of Rs. 11 lakh crore projects. I started my life on railway tracks, so I know how bad our railways were earlier,” PM Modi said.

An event was held at Kadakola this morning to mark the inauguration of the Multi-Modal Logistics Park (MMLP) or Inland Container Depot (ICD) that was attended by Mysuru-Kodagu MP Prathap Simha, Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) Managing Director Shashidhar Mattad, (now retired), CONCOR Mysuru Division Manager Vijay Kumar, Senior Divisional Engineer of Mysuru Division Railway Ravichandran, CONCOR Area Head Gayathri and CONCOR Chennai Cluster Head K. Srinivas. 

Will boost local export industries: MP

Addressing the gathering, Prathap Simha highlighted the significance of the project, emphasising its potential to bolster local export industries and fulfil a longstanding demand. 

“The depot has been modelled after the one established in Whitefield, Bengaluru, and is poised to significantly benefit industries in the region,” explained the MP. 

“With all customs formalities being completed at the depot itself, businesses will no longer need to travel to ports for customs duty. Additionally, a dedicated Customs office and a cold storage facility will be established soon. This streamlined process will also reduce the lead time required to transport containers to the ports,” he added. 

The ICD-MMLP will provide seamless connectivity to major ports like the New Mangalore Port. The new facility will provide efficient rail and road transportation for both domestic and export-import cargo movements.

Situated in the Thandavapura industrial area, the COCOR has invested over Rs. 112.75 crore in the project, which spans across 60 acres of land acquired from the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board. The MMLP-ICD has three full-length platforms and stringent security measures including fire-fighting systems and CCTV surveillance to ensure operational safety and security.  

Cold storage unit soon

CONCOR Mysuru Division Manager Vijay Kumar said that the facility will feature a cold storage unit soon and provisions for customs clearance for both export and import cargo. Currently, industrialists in the Mysuru region have to obtain customs clearance at ports, but with this facility, the process will be conveniently available at their doorstep.

The ICD will empower industrialists to transport finished goods and raw materials through CONCOR to major ports and cities, benefiting from rail connectivity to almost all major cities, towns, and ports, including Mangalore Port and Chennai Port. 

“This initiative will not only enhance exports from the region but also streamline the transportation process, reducing the lead time required to ship containers to the ports,” Vijay Kumar explained.