Coimbatore : The Centre will offer all possible help for the total development of Coimbatore region, which reportedly lacked in rail, road and air connectivity, according to Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan.

During an interaction with industrialists and traders, organised by the local chapter of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Minister promised to arrange for meetings with the ministries concerned so that the issues could be presented.

However, he said vested interests were `working overtime to curtail the development of Tamil Nadu’, though the Centre had allotted many schemes and pointed to the agitation against the Salem-Chennai eight-lane project Radhakrishnan said Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had sanctioned the new concept of bus ports to come up in four cities, including Coimbatore.

The western districts of the State contributed 60 per cent to the State economy, 75 per cent of which was from private entrepreneurs, he said, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had sanctioned various projects to Tamil Nadu on priority basis.

About cancellation of flights by private airlines, he said alternative arrangements were made and Chief Minister Edapadi Palanisamy had told him that land acquisition process was on for the airport expansion.

On presentations made by various associations about rail and road requirements and Goods and Services Tax, BJP national general secretary P Muralidhar Rao asked them to have empirical studies and present them before the ministries concerned before Parliament session from July 18.