Thiruvannathapuram: The state govt has strongly opposed the railway board’s decision to shift Mangaluru station and adjoining areas from the Palakkad railway division to the Mysuru division, describing it as a unilateral move that would adversely affect the state and Southern Railway. Chief minister V D Satheesan and opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan have criticized the move.In a statement, Satheesan said excluding the strategically important Mangaluru Jn would significantly reduce the revenue of the Palakkad division and consequently affect its future development and that the state govt will put pressure on Centre to reconsider the move.“With the merger of the stretch from Ullal to Mangaluru, currently under Southern Railway, into South Western Railway, both Southern Railway and Kerala stand to suffer major losses. The decision to split the Palakkad division has been made without informing the state or holding any form of consultation. Kerala is united in insisting that this decision be reviewed,” he said.He said letters will be sent to the Prime Minister and the Union railway minister seeking a resolution to the issue. With the support of the state’s MPs, pressure will be exerted on the central govt to revisit the decision, he added.Meanwhile, Vijayan termed it a “grave injustice” and said that the move is condemnable and alleged that the railway authorities and the central govt continue to show severe discrimination and neglect towards Kerala.“It is estimated that this move will slash the Palakkad division’s revenue by as much as 60%. The state govt and MPs from Kerala must intervene forcefully to reverse this misguided decision,” he said.By merging the Mangaluru sector with the Mysuru division, Palakkad division is effectively being pushed towards extinction, he said.“Losing Mangaluru, a major port city, will significantly reduce Palakkad division’s income. In the last financial year alone, freight movement worth Rs 625 crore was handled through the Panambur goods yard, and that revenue will now be lost entirely,” he added.He said the trimming of Palakkad division comes immediately after it became clear that the coach factory sanctioned for Kanjikode would not be implemented. “The Centre has not even granted approval to Kerala’s demand for a high-speed railway corridor. In 2006, when the Salem division was formed, Palakkad lost commercially important cities including Coimbatore, resulting in the loss of nearly half its revenue. Now, with Mangaluru also being taken away, railway development in Kerala will remain nothing more than a dream,” Vijayan said.
