Thiruvananthapuram, July 8 (IANS): Political leaders in Kerala Tuesday criticised the railway budget presented in the parliament as just one passenger train was allotted to the state.
Fromer chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan described the budget as a big zero.
"Not a single project in the railway budget has any mention of the state. Now, the only option left before the Kerala MPs is to work together and try for a separate railway zone for us," said the Communist Party of India-Marxist leader.
State Congress president V.M. Sudheeran said his party would launch a protest against the railway budget for ignoring Kerala.
"It appears that there is some sort of vengeance towards Kerala and it's seen in the railway budget. All here should protest this high handedness shown to us," he said in a statement.
Power Minister Aryadan Mohammed, who looks after railway developments in the state, said never ever in the history of railway budget, Kerala's needs and requirements were ignored like this.
Incidentally, the BJP in Kerala has no representation in the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha and the state assembly.