Mangaluru shift row: Kerala to approach Centre over Palakkad railway division
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan has criticised the Railway Board’s decision to shift Mangaluru from the Palakkad railway division to the Mysuru division of South Western Railway, calling it a “unilateral” move.
Satheesan said the state government would approach the Centre and seek an immediate reconsideration of the decision, which he said was taken without informing Kerala or holding discussions with the state.
Kerala to approach Centre
In a statement, Satheesan said retaining Mangaluru under the Palakkad division was a “united demand” of Kerala.
He said excluding the strategically important Mangaluru Junction would significantly reduce the Palakkad division’s revenue and affect its future development.
The transfer of the railway section between Ullal and Mangaluru from Southern Railway to South Western Railway would cause a major loss to both Southern Railway and Kerala, he said.
“We will approach the Centre seeking an urgent solution to the issue. Letters will be sent to the Prime Minister and the Union Railway Minister. With the cooperation of the state's MPs, pressure will be exerted on the Centre to reconsider the decision,” Satheesan said.
MP warns of impact on Palakkad division
Kasaragod MP Rajmohan Unnithan also opposed the decision, describing it as another example of what he called the Railways’ neglect of Kerala, particularly the Malabar region.
In a Facebook post, Unnithan said the move reflected a continuing “stepmotherly attitude” towards Kerala and would not be accepted.
He said the exact details of the new railway boundaries would become clearer through a gazette notification.
Unnithan also warned that losing the Mangaluru region, including the New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA), could have serious consequences for the Palakkad division. He described the port as a key source of revenue for the division and expressed concern that the division could eventually face a merger with either the Salem or Thiruvananthapuram division if it was considered financially unviable.
He demanded that the Railway authorities withdraw the decision and said he had written to the Railway Minister and senior Railway officials seeking intervention.
Sharing similar views, Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan also strongly criticised the Railways' decision, alleging that Keralam was being subjected to "gross discrimination and neglect" by the Centre and the Railways.
Vijayan said the move was "highly condemnable and a grave injustice" and urged the state government and MPs from Keralam to intervene strongly to get the decision reversed.
The transfer of the Mangaluru region to the Mysuru division would reduce the revenue of the Palakkad division by up to 60 per cent, he alleged in a statement.
"With the Mangaluru region being attached to the Mysuru division, the Palakkad division is effectively being brought to an end," Vijayan said.
He said the loss of Mangaluru, a major port city, would significantly hit the division's revenue. Cargo worth Rs 625 crore was handled through the Panambur goods yard in the last financial year and this entire revenue would be lost to the Palakkad division, he claimed.
Vijayan said Palakkad would effectively become a division without even a single train of its own once trains originating from Mangaluru, including those bound for Thiruvananthapuram, came under the Mysuru division.
Vijayan recalled that the creation of the Salem division in 2006 had resulted in Palakkad losing commercially important cities, including Coimbatore, causing the division to lose nearly half its revenue.
"With Mangaluru now also being separated, Kerala's railway development will remain a dream," he said.
He alleged that there was a move to confine Kerala to only the Thiruvananthapuram division, which would make it difficult for the state to secure new trains because its railway revenue was low.
The authority to decide the schedules of trains originating from Mangaluru, including those to Thiruvananthapuram, would now rest with the Mysuru division, which would adversely affect Keralam, Vijayan said.
Referring to a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office on the Railway decision, Vijayan said the chief minister and the state government should take more effective steps in the matter.
He also urged the state government to bring together all MPs from Keralam and mount a strong intervention with the Centre to get the decision reversed.
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Palakkad MP alleges attempt to weaken division
Palakkad MP V K Sreekandan alleged that the division was being split without informing Kerala’s MPs or the state government.
He accused the Centre of attempting to weaken and eventually eliminate the Palakkad division by reducing its revenue and funding.
Sreekandan said strong protests would be raised both inside and outside Parliament.
“Palakkad is one of the highest-revenue divisions in South India. The decision to divide it was taken without explaining the reason or consulting anyone,” he said.
He also warned that the transfer of Mangaluru could affect the availability of long-distance trains from the Palakkad division.
The resulting loss of revenue, he said, could have a serious impact on the division and railway development in Kerala.