Plan to bifurcate Palakkad division conspiracy against Kerala: John Brittas

John Brittas said the move, reportedly under the guise of administrative restructuring, threatens to diminish the capabilities of the Palakkad division

NEW DELHI: CPI(M) lawmaker John Brittas asked railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday to review a proposed move to bifurcate the Palakkad railway division to create a new Mangalore division, saying it appeared to be a “larger conspiracy” against Kerala.

John Brittas said the Palakkad division was a critical component of the Southern Railway network (Southern Railway)

In a letter to Vaishnaw, the Rajya Sabha member said the move, “reportedly under the guise of administrative restructuring”, threatens to diminish the capabilities of the Palakkad division further and undermine the progress and convenience to passengers and businesses.

“..the proposal to carve out a new Mangalore division from the existing Palakkad appears to be a larger conspiracy against Kerala, a move that is neither justified by economic rationale nor by administrative necessity,” the MP said.

Seeking the minister’s intervention to scrap the reported move, Brittas said the Palakkad division was a critical component of the Southern Railway network and was known for its “outstanding performance in passenger traffic and revenue generation”.

According to the Southern Railway, the Palakkad division stretches from Podanur in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore in the East and extends up to Mangaluru on the West Coast via Shoranur in Kerala on the banks of Bharathapuzha River. In its existing form, the division, which has route kilometre of 582.7 km, is spread across Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Puducherry.

The proposed bifurcation, he argued, lacked economic rationale and administrative necessity.

Brittas recalled the railway ministry’s decision to carve out the Salem division in 2007 from the Palakkad division, saying the fresh move would further undermine the operational efficiency and progress. He also underscored Kerala’s history of being marginalised regarding railway development, citing unfulfilled demands such as new tracks, additional trains, and the approval of the Silverline project.

“I trust in your commitment to equitable development and sincerely hope that your good self will take appropriate steps to ensure that Kerala receives its due share of attention and resources in the domain of railway development,” the letter said.