The Hindu : TDP blocking transfer of Toranagallu-Bellary line?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 24, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

TDP blocking transfer of Toranagallu-Bellary line?

By Our Special Correspondent

HUBLI April 23. The delay on the part of the South Central Railway in transferring the Toranagallu-Bellary section to the South Western Railway even three weeks after the new zone came into being is intriguing.

It is more for political reasons than administrative, technical, or procedural reasons that the matter is getting delayed. According to information emanating from New Delhi, the Telugu Desam Party has pressured the Railway Minister to let the line remain within the South Central Railway rather than handing it over to the new zone.

There were reports in a section of the Press about a "victory celebration" being held in Guntakal and of the confidence expressed by the Telugu Desam Party Parliamentary Party leader, Yerran Naidu, of the line remaining with the South Central Railway. It is difficult to believe that the Railway Ministry would go back on the commitment given to the Prime Minister in this connection. Karnataka had insisted on a full-fledged zone. The intervention of the Prime Minister settled the issue in favour of Karnataka.

A modified notification, incorporating Karnataka's demand, was issued four days before the Prime Minister visited Hubli on February 14 to lay the foundation stone for the new zonal office.

Will the Railways allow the Prime Minister to cut a sorry figure in the eyes of the people of Karnataka? Can it afford to displease the Telugu Desam Party, a powerful constituent of the NDA?

The other interesting factor is that while Telugu Desam Party has been relentless in its campaign, the State Government remains oblivious to the issue.

The South Central Railway has been reluctant since the beginning to part with this particular line.

Everything was okay as long as the Hubli Division was part of South Central Railway, with the Hospet-Toranagallu-Bellary-Guntakal line under the dual control of Hubli and Guntakal divisions. In its notification issued in July last on the formation of the new zones, the Railway Ministry had recommended that the Hospet-Toranagallu line be given to Hubli and the Toranagallu-Bellary-Guntakal line be retained in Guntakal Division.

Although the changes were to come into effect from April 1, the South Central Railway moved with alacrity to integrate the Toranagallu-Bellary-Guntakal line with the Guntakal Division eight months ago. Things happened quickly and the communication link between Hubli and Toranagallu and beyond were snapped overnight.

This drew protests in Karnataka and a protracted agitation took place in Bellary against the move. The agitation ended, thanks to the intervention of the Prime Minister, with the Railway Minister issuing a modified notification including the Toranagallu-Bellary line in Hubli Division.

And the rumblings over the actual transfer of the line back to Hubli started a few days before the new zone came into being with its headquarters in Hubli. A team from Hubli Division, which went to take over the line, was promptly asked to return home.

And Bandaru Dattatreya, Union Minister of State for Railways, knew about the non-transfer of the line to South Western Railway before April l.

When the same was brought to his notice by the BJP leaders, Mr. Dattatreya said the matter would be sorted out within a week.

It is the BJP in Karnataka which is embarrassed about the Railways prolonging the matter.

Vijay Sankeshwar, MP, has been the lone voice of protest from within the BJP in this connection. Basavaraj Patil Sedam, BJP State unit leader, and Jagadish Shettar, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, are planning to go to New Delhi get the issue sorted out.

The attitude of the State Government has come as a surprise.

The State Government appears to be lukewarm towards the bonanza it got in the form of a zonal headquarters. If Karnataka fails to act, Andhra Pradesh will clinch the issue.

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