Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has informed Shashi Tharoor, MP, that the Ministry has not taken any decision to bifurcate the Thiruvananthapuram railway division by carving out of the Nemom-Tirunelveli rail corridor and its addition to the Madurai railway division.
On Wednesday, Mr. Tharoor, who represents the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha contituency, tweeted: “Spoke to @PiyushGoyal today on reported decision to bifurcate @TVC138 & hand over large chunks to Madurai. He has assured me no such decision has been taken by @RailMinIndia”.
Mr. Tharoor, who is also the chairman, External Affairs Committee of Parliament, in a letter to the Union Railway Minister on Tuesday, said “such a plan will weaken the existing functions of the railway division, causing considerable damage and distress to the people of the region and of Kerala State itself.”
At a critical time when Thiruvananthapuram was witnessing several developments, including the Vizhinjam seaport, Mr. Tharoor said such a decision would affect the division adversely and take a tremendous toll on revenue collection. With the completion of the seaport and the coaching terminal at Nemom, traffic along the existing lines will pick up, but the State will gain nothing if the section is handed over.
Mr. Tharoor had pointed out that the transfer would be an injustice to the State and to the railway division of Thiruvananthapuram and that such a move would be received not only with the greatest dismay but would also provoke condemnation from the affected population.
CPI protest
Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India (CPI) took out a march to the Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station on Wednesday in protest against the move to bifurcate the premier division of the State.
Inaugurating the dharna organised by the CPI district council, CPI Central Secretariat member Panniyan Ravindran said the Railway Ministry and the Centre should withdraw from the move. Kerala, which was giving considerable revenue to Railways was being neglected, he added. CPI district secretary G.R. Anil presided.