The Hindu : National : Lalu seeks proposal from State for railway zone

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 24, 2007
ePaper

National

National

Lalu seeks proposal from State for railway zone

Special Correspondent

Chief Minister meets Railway Minister

NEW DELHI: Railway Minister Lalu Prasad on Thursday told Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan that his Ministry would consider setting up a west coast railway zone headquartered in Kerala if the State Government submitted a proposal to this effect. This is the understanding the Chief Minister returned with after a meeting with Mr. Prasad here.

In Delhi to attend the Central Committee meeting of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Chief Minister met Mr. Prasad with the grievances of Kerala. Though Mr. Prasad had on Monday told the Lok Sabha that the Salem division of Railways — created by hiving off a portion of Palakkad division — would be inaugurated only after pending issues between Kerala and Tamil Nadu were resolved, the threat of a blockade of Kerala-bound trains from Salem had given rise to fresh apprehensions.

Mr. Achuthanandan met Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and sought additional and quick relief from the Centre for dealing with the loss faced by the State in the wake of the heavy rain that lashed large parts of Kerala in July.

PTI adds: Mr. Achuthanandan said the issue of Salem division did not come up for discussion during the meeting and he had only sought sanctioning of a new rail zone in Kerala, a long pending demand of the State.

“Kerala is my favourite State. The CPI(M) has always helped me. Everything will be sorted out,” Mr. Prasad told reporters after his meeting with Mr. Achuthanandan.

Kerala maintains that it was not opposed to the setting up of a new railway division in Salem, but was opposed to the bifurcation of Palakkad, one of the profitable divisions in the country.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National