Thiruvananthapuram, 22 August (H.S.):Chief Minister V D Satheesan has urged the Centre to reconsider the Railway Board's decision to transfer the Mangaluru railway area up to Ullal from the Palakkad Division of Southern Railway to the Mysuru Division of South Western Railway.

Satheesan said the decision was taken unilaterally without informing the Kerala government or consulting the state. He warned that the move would substantially reduce the revenue and operational importance of the Palakkad Division, adversely affecting its future development.

The Railway Board issued a notification on Friday announcing changes to the jurisdiction of the Mysuru and Palakkad divisions. Under the revised arrangement, the interchange point between Southern Railway and South Western Railway will shift from Padil to Ullal in Karnataka. The change will take effect on October 1.

The transfer covers the railway area between Ullal and Mangaluru, including the strategically important Mangaluru station. The region currently falls under the Palakkad Division and contributes significantly to its passenger and freight revenue.

In a Facebook post, Satheesan described the decision as 'unilateral and unacceptable'. He said excluding Mangaluru from the Palakkad Division would weaken it financially and affect railway development in northern Kerala.

Satheesan said bringing the stretch between Ullal and Mangaluru under South Western Railway would cause losses to both Southern Railway and Kerala. Reconsidering the decision was the united demand of the state, he added.

The Kerala government will approach the Centre seeking an urgent resolution. Letters will be sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw requesting the withdrawal of the decision.

MPs M K Raghavan, Rajmohan Unnithan, K Radhakrishnan and V K Sreekantan have also opposed the transfer. Railway passenger associations in Kerala have condemned the move and sought coordinated political intervention to retain the existing jurisdiction and protect the interests of passengers in Kerala.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman