The Hindu : Move on Gulbarga rail division draws flak

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 25, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bellary

Move on Gulbarga rail division draws flak

By Our Staff Correspondent

BELLARY, JAN. 24. Though the reported decision of the Railway Ministry to create a new division with its headquarters in Gulbarga has been welcomed, reports that it will be made part of South Central Railway have come as a shock to the people of Bellary district.

What is more shocking is the report that even the revenue-earning Toranagallu-Bellary section will be de-linked from Hubli Division of South Western Railway and tagged on to the proposed division.

For, the people had successfully launched an agitation for 188 days demanding that the Toranagallu-Bellary section remain with the Hubli Division. The Toranagallu-Bellary-Ranjitpur section earns revenue of Rs. 800 crore every year by transporting iron ore and steel produced in the region.

The section was part of the Hubli Division when it was with South Central Railway. After the line between Hospet and Guntakal was made a broadgauge one to transport iron ore, the Guntakal Division controlled its operational aspects while administrative control remained with the Hubli Division. With the formation of South Western Railway, the section was made part of the Guntakal Division.

People of the region launched an agitation against it till their demand was conceded.

With such being the situation, reports stated that the Railway Ministry, had, in principle, decided to establish a divisional headquarters in Gulbarga, fulfilling the long-pending demand of the Hyderabad Karnataka region.

They further stated that the proposed division would be part of South Central Railway with its zonal office in Secunderabad.

Gulbarga, Bidar, Raichur, Koppal and Bellary districts, and parts of Bijapur district are likely to be included in the new division.

Protesting the proposed move by the Railway Ministry, the Railway Action Committee has threatened to launch an agitation. K.M. Maheshwaraswamy, convener of the committee, told presspersons that if the section was made part of South Central Railway, it would deprive South Western Zone of revenue.

Mr. Swamy urged the Prime Minister to intervene in the matter and prevent the Railways from including the revenue earning section in the proposed Gulbarga Division. The Railways was yet to provide facilities and amenities for passengers of the section, he said.

He wanted Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, Minister of State for Railways, to consider the sentiments of the people of the region and prevent the bifurcation of the section.

He urged the Minister to take steps to develop the railway shed at Hospet and provide more rakes to transport iron ore.

M. Nagaraja Rao, former Resident Editor of Samyukta Karnataka, said the Railways had again come out with a sinister design to hand over all revenue earning sections (Hospet-Torangallu-Ranjitpur-Bellary in Bellary district and Wadi and other places) to South Central Railway.

He appealed to the people of the region to oppose the proposed move.

He urged them to demand that the proposed Gulbarga Division should be part of South Western Railway.

He said South Central Railway had six divisions under its control while there were only three with South Western Zone. People of the State had been seeking two more divisions in Gulbarga and Mangalore for administrative convenience, which in turn would contribute to the development of the State.

He urged the elected representatives to take steps to prevent the proposed move by the Railways.

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Move on Gulbarga rail division draws flak