Palakkad Division Split Will Boost Kerala Development, Says BJP Leader Krishnadas

Senior BJP leader P K Krishnadas on Sunday defended the Railway Board’s decision to bifurcate the Palakkad railway division and transfer stations, including Mangaluru, to the Mysuru division, saying the move would promote development and improve passenger facilities in Kerala.

Krishnadas, who has served as Chairman of the Passenger Amenities Committee, an advisory body under the Indian Railways, said concerns over revenue loss to the Palakkad division were misplaced. He explained that the Railways operates through a single financial account, meaning revenue transferred from one division to another would remain part of the national railway system.

“Is the Mysuru division a part of America? Isn’t it part of the Indian Railways?” Krishnadas said, arguing that any reduction in Palakkad’s revenue would correspondingly increase revenue under Mysuru.

He assured people in Kerala that the bifurcation would not result in a reduction in passenger amenities. According to him, travellers would instead receive significantly improved facilities within three years.

Krishnadas said the principal concern surrounding the restructuring was whether passengers would face inconvenience following the transfer of stations. He maintained that the Railways would continue providing the infrastructure and services required in the affected areas.

Addressing questions about the 2007 statewide hartal called by the BJP against the creation of the Salem division, Krishnadas said the circumstances were different. The Salem division had been created by bifurcating the Palakkad division during the UPA government. He claimed that the earlier bifurcation had substantially reduced Palakkad’s revenue and, under the funding criteria followed at the time, affected allocations to Kerala.

Krishnadas said the situation had changed under the BJP-led government, where railway funds are allocated according to developmental and passenger requirements rather than divisional revenue.

He said the government’s approach to railway development under Prime Minister Narendra Modi was fundamentally different from that of the Congress-led UPA.