Thiruvananthapuram (Keralam) [India], August 22 (ANI): Keralam’s Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan has condemned the Railway’s decision to carve out key sections, including Mangaluru Central and Mangaluru Junction, from the Palakkad Division, alleging that the move reflects discrimination and neglect towards Keralam by the Railways and the Central Government.
“The Railway’s decision to carve out crucial sections, including Mangaluru Central and Mangaluru Junction, from the Palakkad Division is highly condemnable. The Railways and the Central Government are displaying severe discrimination and neglect towards Keralam. This is a grave injustice,” he said.
In a statement issued by the LoP Office, Vijayan said the Palakkad Division could lose up to 60 per cent of its revenue as a result of the decision. He urged the State Government and MPs from Keralam to intervene strongly to get the decision reversed.
He said the merger of the Mangaluru section with the Mysuru Division would effectively bring an end to the Palakkad Division. According to him, stations up to Ullal have been shifted to the Mysuru Division.
Vijayan said the loss of Mangaluru, a major port city, would significantly affect the revenue of the Palakkad Division. He said freight worth Rs 625 crore was handled through the Panambur Goods Yard during the last financial year and that the entire revenue stream would now be lost.
“The loss of Mangaluru, a major port city, will result in a significant decline in the Palakkad Division’s revenue. Freight worth Rs 625 crore was handled through the Panambur Goods Yard during the last financial year. This entire revenue stream will now be lost,” he added.
He further said trains currently originating from Mangaluru, including those bound for Thiruvananthapuram, would become part of the Mysuru Division. As a result, Palakkad would effectively become a division without even a single train of its own, he said.
Vijayan said the Palakkad Division was being carved up again after it became certain that the coach factory sanctioned at Kanjikode, Palakkad, would not be implemented. He also said the Centre had not approved Keralam’s demand for a high-speed railway corridor.
Referring to the formation of the Salem Division in 2006, Vijayan said Palakkad had then lost commercially important cities, including Coimbatore, and nearly half of its revenue. He said the separation of Mangaluru would further affect railway development in Kerala.
“There is an attempt to restrict Keralam to only the Thiruvananthapuram Division,” Vijayan said, adding that new trains may no longer be sanctioned for Kerala on the grounds that the revenue is low.
He said the authority to decide the schedules of trains originating from Mangaluru, including those bound for Thiruvananthapuram, would now rest with the Mysuru Division and that this would have a serious adverse impact on Keralam.
Vijayan also said he had taken note of the press release issued by the Chief Minister’s Office regarding the Railway’s decision. He urged the Chief Minister and the State Government to take more effective action and bring together all MPs to ensure that the Centre’s decision is reversed. (ANI)
Related reading
