Railway budget – a big disappointment for coastal districts

Mangalore/Udupi, February 27, 2013 

There is not much to cheer about for Karnataka in the Railway budget 2013-14 presented by Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal. For the people of the twin coastal districts of   Mangalore and Udupi the railway budget is like a damp squib as the expectations were high.  The railway minister has announced new express trains between Mangalore and Bangalore (once a week) and Mangalore and Madgaon (Goa) Intercity Express (daily) via Udupi, Karwar.   Disappointment writ large on people who had expected that the state in general and coastal districts in particular,  would be benefited by the largesse of the Railway Minister particularly at a time when the state is getting ready for  the assembly elections.

Apart from these two express trains the  railway budget has announced extension of Train 12653/12654 Mangalore-Tiruchinapalli Express to Puducherry.  The budget has announced setting up of 26 locations across the country to train youth in railway related trades and Mangalore is one among such locations.  This would certainly give a fillip to employment opportunities in the railways for the people of the coastal districts.

The disappointment comes from the fact that the people had high hopes of  the creation of a separate railway division for Mangalore.  It was expected that Mangalore Central and Mangalore Junction stations, currently under Palghat divion of Southern Railway, would come under South Western Railway once a separate Mangalore division is created.  Allotment of additional funds for developmental works and new trains on the Mangalore-Hassan and direct super fast trains to Mumbai and Delhi were also in the wish list of the people of these coastal districts.

Members of the Raiway Yatri Sangha, Udupi have expressed their shock and disbelief for the negligible facilities announced to the coastal districts of Karnataka.  They have also expressed their anguish saying there was no one in the district to represent and speak to the central government on the requirements of the people of this area.   The members argue that Mangalore and Udupi being education, health care and IT hubs, there should have been more rail connectivity to these districts and blame the elected representatives for their failure in convincing the central government on these requirements.