Puttur: Coastal MPs vent Their Resentment at Railway Budget
Daijiworld Media Network - Puttur (SP)
Puttur, Jul 4: Udupi MP D V Sadanand Gowda and Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel have accused the UPA government at the centre, of meting out a step-motherly treatment to the Karnataka coast in its railway budget. "The budget, which is excessively tilted in favour of Kerala, has caused grave injustice to Karnataka in general and the coastal region in particular," they commented.
The MPs say, the budget, in an attempt to appease E Ahamed, minister of state in the UPA government, has neglected coastal Karnataka. Instead of sanctioning an additional day-train between Mangalore and Bangalore, the railway ministry has extended the existing night train service between these cities to Kannur. At the same time, the ministry has rejected the demand of the commuters to extend the Mumbai-Goa-Karwar super fast train to Mangalore, which serves as the gate way of Karnataka, they commented. They also expressed displeasure at the fact that only a nominal amount has been set aside for the completion of Shravana Belagola-Bangalore railway line works that would have shortened the distance between Mangalore and Bangalore.
"Karnataka, which is setting aside a huge amount for railway development, is not getting any facility. On the contrary, Kerala, which does not provide any funds to the railway development, gets facilities in excess of expectations. The new super fast train between Mangalore and Tiruvanantapuram is an example for this irony, they added.
They said, that the plan to upgrade Mangalore railway station is a ploy to ensure that the railway station remains in Palghat division. The extension of the Mangalore-Bangalore train to Kannur will not only reduce the seat availability for the people of the coast, but gradually, this train might leave from Kankanady station instead of touching Mangalore Junction, they apprehend.
They said, they can not remain mute spectators to these injustices and will organize agitation against the discriminatory tactics of the central government. Home minister Dr V S Acharya, Railway Commuters Association Udupi president R L Dias and several others have also echoed the same sentiments.