Naveen Menezes
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (NM)
Mangalore, May 28: With former chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda assuming charge as the minister of railways in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet, coupled with the election promise of MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, who again won the Lok Sabha elections from Dakshina Kannada constituency, the formation of a separate Mangalore railway division is likely to see green signal.
Presently, the Mangalore railway region functions under Palakkad division of Southern Railway Zone, which is headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It is a long-pending demand of the people of the port city to form a separate Mangalore railway division and bring it under South Western Railway Zone, which is headquartered in Hubli, Karnatala.
This was one of the promises made by the Dakshina Kannada unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in its election manifesto. Now, the handing over of railway ministry to D V Sadananda Gowda, who hails from the district, has boosted the hopes among the people of Mangalore. It has given double the reason as well as responsibility to BJP to fulfil its promise.
However, history has been witness to several ministers of Karnataka assuming the charge as union railway ministers including M Mallikarjun Kharge and K H Muniyappa, but the demand remains unfulfilled till date.
Sources said that the demands of the ministers were previously put on hold due to pressure by ministers of other states interested in the matter. It is said that the move to create a separate Mangalore division would not augur well for the Palakkad division since the freight revenues are mainly obtained from the Mangalore port. Hence, the demand has not seen the light of day. Now, the hopes have been rekindled with D V Sadananda Gowda taking up charge of the railway ministry and Nalin Kumar Kateel expected to deliver on his promise.
"With the establishment of Mangalore Railway division, there will be more facilities and benefits to the passengers and goods traffic. Moreover, it will also boost the economic and social development of Mangalore as well as the entire west coast. It will bring together the existing area of Mangalore Central, Mangalore Junction and New Mangalore Port and Konkan Railway jurisdiction," stated a letter previously sent by Oscar Fernandes to former railway minister Mallikarjuna Kharge urging to create a separate division.
Hanumant Kamath of Nagarika Hitarakshana Samiti of Mangalore said, "Mangalore railway faces stepmotherly treatment under Pallakkad division. This has to change on priority basis. Maillikarjuna Kharge made use of his ministry to create a separate Gulbarga railway division, which was also a similar long-pending demand. With Sadananda Gowda, a Mangalorean assuming the charge, he should focus on forming the Mangalore railway division. If he fails, we will protest by showing black flags when he comes to the city."
Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP of Dakshina Kannada constituency promised to take up this cause. Speaking to daijiworld on phone, he said, "Soon after D V Sadaganda Gowda took up the ministry, I congratulated him. I have put forth the need to create a separate Mangalore railway division. He has agreed to take up the issue on priority."
When contacted, Sadananda Gowda said that he would study the proposal in 15 days and then take appropriate action.