Konkan services from CST: Paswan

PANAJI, Aug 24: Konkan services to Sawantwadi, Goa, would start operating from Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai, from September 1, Union railways minister Ram Vilas Paswan announced here today.

Making the declaration Paswan pointedly marked that but for the pressure tactics used by Shiv Sena Bal Thackeray the decision on the issue could have been taken much earlier.

The Union Minister revealed that because of the traffic congestion at Dadar the demand for starting Konkan service from Dadar had been overruled. Though, Paswan said, he did hold a meeting of Maharashtra MPs to consider if any cancellation of existing services could be considered to accommodate the Konkan Service; where it was agreed that the existing schedule of services afforded no scope for such cancellation.