Hopes of people of the Kalyana Karnataka region have dashed with the BJP-led Union government on Tuesday dropping the plan to establish a long-awaited railway divisional headquarters in Kalaburagi.
Replying to a question raised by Kalaburagi MP Umesh Jadhav in Parliament, Union Minister for Railways Piyush Goyal said that a detailed project report (DPR) containing the estimates for setting up the division in Kalaburagi was under examination in the Ministry of Railways under various aspects/requirements.
Mr. Goyal said that setting up of new division affects railway operations and efficiency. It also requires additional resources. A committee comprising senior railway officers was constituted to analyse and review afresh the feasibility of the creation of three new divisions announced in 2014, including the one in Kalaburagi. After examining all the relevant issues from operational, financial, administrative and other aspects of railway working, the committee concluded that the creation of new divisions, including the one in Kalaburagi, may be dropped for the present.
Meanwhile, Executive Director (Efficiency and Research), Ministry of Railways, Umesh Balonda in a letter stated that the recommendations of the committee have been examined. Considering the prevalent situation arising out of the ongoing pandemic and resulting financial condition of the Railways, the recommendation of the committee for dropping the proposal for the creation of Kalaburagi Railway Division for the present has been accepted by the Ministry of Railways.
Kalyana Karnataka Grahakara Vedike president Sunil Kulkarni accused the Centre of adopting a step-motherly attitude towards Kalyana Karnataka region. He condemned the Centre’s decision to turn down the establishment of a railway divisional headquarters in Kalaburagi and also for giving a nod for the creation of a railway division at Raigad in Maharashtra.
