His remarks came a day after UDF leaders held a day-long hunger strike outside the office of the Palakkad divisional railway manager. MPs and state ministers participated in the protest against the proposed transfer of the Mangaluru area, including Ullal.
Chief minister V.D. Satheesan recently wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to suspend the decision and reconsider it after consulting the state government and other stakeholders.
Satheesan said the move had caused serious concern in Kerala because of its long-term implications for railway infrastructure and development, particularly in the stateโs northern districts. He also objected to the lack of consultation with the state government before the decision was taken.
The chief minister pointed out that Mangaluru had remained part of the Palakkad Division for decades. He said the transfer would remove Mangaluru Central and Mangaluru Junction from the division, along with strategically important railway infrastructure connected to the Mangaluru port region, including Panambur.
With IANS inputs
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