Mangaluru shift aimed at appeasing Karnataka BJP, says Sreekandan
He vows to protest the decision, citing its detrimental impact on railway development in Kerala and the lack of consultation with local MPs or the state government.
V.K. Sreekandan, MP, alleged on Saturday that the Union government's move to remove Mangaluru from the Palakkad Railway Division was a tactic to appease the BJP in Karnataka. Addressing the media, Sreekandan claimed that Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had promised Keralam that the Palakkad Division would not be divided, but the decision to transfer Mangaluru violated that assurance.
The Union Railway Ministry implemented the bifurcation without consulting Keralam's MPs or the State government, according to Sreekandan, who also accused the government of not giving prior notice. He argued that Mangaluru was a significant revenue source for the Palakkad division, and its removal would weaken the division's finances.
Sreekandan warned that the reduction in revenue and development funds could ultimately lead to the closure of the Palakkad division. He emphasized that the decision would negatively impact railway development in Keralam and announced protests against the decision, stating that MPs and the public would raise the issue in Parliament. Sreekandan also vowed to press the Railway Ministry to reverse the decision.
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