The Hindu : New Delhi News : MPs express concern over blocking of trains

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Saturday, Aug 25, 2007
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New Delhi

MPs express concern over blocking of trains

Home Minister urged to intervene

K. Suresh Kurup raises the issue during zero hour
Speaker says it is the result of internecine fighting

New Delhi: Members of Parliament from Kerala expressed concern in the Lok Sabha on Friday over protestors blocking trains coming to Tamil Nadu in the wake of the controversy over the bifurcation of the Palakkad division of Railways.

Raising the issue during zero hour, K. Suresh Kurup (CPI-M) said that Kerala had nothing against Tamil Nadu. He wanted Home Minister Shivraj Patil, who was present in the House, to take up the matter with the Tamil Nadu Government to stop the protest, which was taking place at a time when Onam was just days away.

“This is the result of internecine fighting in the country,” Speaker Somnath Chatterjee observed.

An all-party meeting held in Coimbatore on Thursday night had decided to stop trains coming from and going towards Kerala at stations in the region from August 25 to draw the attention of the Centre to the inauguration of the Salem division. A resolution to this effect was adopted at the meeting, which was held to decide the course of action in the wake of a statement by Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad a couple of days ago that the formation of the division would be decided after discussion with the Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Proceedings hit

Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha proceedings were briefly disrupted over the bifurcation of the Palakkad railway division, leading to an adjournment of the House for five minutes.

During the supplementary on new rail lines in Himachal Pradesh, Siva Shri Tiruchi (DMK) asked Minister of State for Railways R. Velu when the Salem division would be inaugurated. As the Minister got up to reply, A. Vijayaraghavan (CPI-M) and other members from Kerala protested with some suggesting that the supplementary had nothing to do with the listed question.

MPs from Kerala had opposed the bifurcation saying it would lead to loss of revenue to Palakkad. Members refused to heed to Chairman Hamid Ansari’s repeated plea for order.

The Chairman allowed the Minister to answer the question and at one time said he would be forced to name the member disrupting the Minister’s reply. But the din continued and Mr. Ansari adjourned the House for five minutes.

When the House reassembled, Mr. Velu said Rs.20 crore had been sanctioned for creation of the Salem division and Rs.1.2 crore had been spent so far. While office building, staff quarters and other infrastructure are being created, the division started operations in February.

— PTI

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