Thiruvananthapuram, 24 August (H.S.):BJP Kerala president Rajeev Chandrasekhar has defended the Railway Board’s decision to reorganise the jurisdiction of the Palakkad Railway Division, describing it as a purely administrative measure that would not cause any loss to Kerala.

Chandrasekhar said the BJP’s priority was to ensure that railway development in Kerala continued without delay or disruption. He accused the Congress-led UDF government of attempting to mislead the public by portraying the Centre’s decision as detrimental to the State.

He said senior BJP leader P.K. Krishnadas had already explained the details of the reorganisation. The party had also prepared a three-year blueprint for railway development in Kerala following discussions with the Union Railway Minister, he added.

The proposed development initiatives were progressing well and the administrative changes would not affect their implementation, Chandrasekhar said.

Explaining the Railway Board’s decision, the BJP leader noted that Mangaluru railway operations were currently divided among three railway divisions. As the Railways functioned as a national organisation, it had the authority to undertake administrative reorganisation to improve operational efficiency.

As part of the restructuring, the Mangaluru section would be brought under the Mysuru Railway Division. Chandrasekhar questioned why the decision should be treated as a controversy when it was intended to streamline railway administration.

He also asked why Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan and Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal were opposing the decision. According to him, their criticism was aimed at diverting public attention from the performance of the UDF government.

Chandrasekhar alleged that the State government had no significant achievements to highlight after completing 100 days in office. It was therefore attempting to turn the Palakkad division reorganisation into a political issue, he said.

The BJP maintained that Kerala’s railway projects would continue as planned and that the jurisdictional change would not slow infrastructure development in the State.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman