The railway budget is nothing but a great disappointment for people of the coastal and Malnad regions. The main railway demand of the region i.e. setting up of a Mangalore railway division has not been considered at all by the Railway Minister. Had the demand been approved in the budget, then much development could have been achieved in Mangalore Railway Station which presently depends on Palghat for each and every thing. The situation at present is such that any railway needs of ours have to get the approval either from Chennai or Palghat.
Railway development in north Karnataka has been significant as Deve Gowda had been instrumental in having a separate railway division with Hubli as the headquarters during his prime ministership.
It is crystal clear that the coastal districts have not benefitted anything from the budget. This despite a man from Karnataka -Muniappa being the minister of state for railways. Even Bangalore-Mangalore train has been hi-jacked to Kerala, depriving people of the district of its benefits as the train is almost full when it reaches Mangalore from Kannur giving the impression that the Mangalore-Bangalore line was converted into a broad-gauge merely for the convenience of Keralites.
As far as this railway budget is concerned, people of Dakshina Kannada were at least hoping of more train services on the Mangalore-Bangalore route. There was even the hope that there would be an announcement on a time limit set for the completion of the 90 km long track laying work on the Shravanabelagola –Bangalore route which when completed would reduce the travel between Bangalore and Mangalore by at least by two hours. These were the main demands of the region and the budget carrying no mention of them is indeed a great disappointment.
Mamatha has even failed to make an announcement of extending the Mangalore-Bangalore train to Karwar and also have daily train services to Mangalore and Bangalore instead of the present services on alternate days. This also reveals the style of functioning of our MPs in the parliament who have practically made no effort to make their voices heard at the central level. Even the prominent Congress leaders including union minister Veerappa Moily and former minister Oscar Fernandes have done nothing to get the railway needs of the region fulfilled. Had they put in a little effort then they would have won much admiration in the district.
More surprising is the fact that the Chief Minister Yeddyurappa is more than satisfied from the budget, for reasons best known to him even when the MP from his own party Ananth Kumar has expressed his displeasure over the budgetary proposals.
Though the budget has a proposal to undertake survey for the Talaguppa-Honavar and Mysore-Madikeri-Mangalore railway lines, there is no mention of fund allocation for the same. Moreover there is also no mention of the much anticipated Ankola-Hubli line. Similarly, even the survey proposals for railway line from Byndoor, Padubidri, Karkala Dharmasthala, seem to be far from reality as no definite action plan has been announced for the same.
It is almost certain that all the assurances are false assurances as far as coastal and Malnad regions are concerned . People would have at least been satisfied if at least one concrete project for the region was announced.
As the MPs have failed to serve the interests of the region, by pressurizing the government to fulfill the railway demands of the region now it is up to the public to go in for peaceful and direct action.
If the Centre has no funds for Railway Infrastructure Development, then at least some announcement could have been made through private participation or entrusting some works to private parties.
The 21st century is an age of developing basic infrastructure. Several opportunities for development would be lost if one fails to think constructively and act accordingly. It is indeed a surprise that the Union government led by the harbinger of economic reforms Manmohan Singh has not considered this a priority area.
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