The Hindu : Revenue-earning line goes to Guntakal

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 16, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Revenue-earning line goes to Guntakal

By M.Ahiraj

BELLARY July 15. The apprehension of the people of Bellary District that a part of the Toranagal-Bellary section, which was part of the Hubli Division, would be handed over to Guntakal Division of the South-Central Railway has come true.

Thanks to the indifference of the people in general and the elected representatives, the Railway Board has notified the jurisdictions of railway zones, including the South-Western Zone with its headquarters in Hubli and that of the South-Central Railway. As per the notification issued by the Railway Board with regard to the formation of new divisions, the Hospet-Toranagal section is attached to Hubli Division while the Bellary-Guntakal (metre gauge) section and Bellary-Rayadurg section have been made part of the Guntakal Division.

The Bangalore and Mysore divisions, which were with the Southern Railway, and the Hubli Division of the South-Central Railway, have been made part of the South-Western Railway Zone.

At the same time, the Railway Board has reduced the jurisdiction of the Hubli Division and has attached the revenue earning section — Toranagal and Bellary — to Guntakal Division of the South-Central Railway. The notification will come into effect from April 1, 2003.

Prior to the uni-gauge project, the metre gauge portion between Hospet and Guntakal was under the control of the Hubli Division and the parallel broad gauge line between the two destinations was controlled by the Guntakal Division. The staff of Hubli Division handled the activities of both metre gauge and broad gauge. As a result, there was dual control from Hubli and from Guntakal divisions.

After the gauge conversion, the Bellary-Rayadurg line as wells as the Bellary-Guntakal metre gauge portion remained under Hubli Division. The existing Hospet-Bellary-Guntakal broad gauge line, which was under the Guntakal Division, has remained with the same division and ultimately the freight earnings between Guntakal and Hospet were credited to Guntakal Division and all coach earnings were credited to Hubli Division. What started as a dual control ultimately ended up in taking over all assets, buildings, quarters, S&T equipment by Guntakal Division and also the posts, which were under the control of Hubli Division What is surprising is that whenever the issue of transferring the Hospet-Guntakal section came up, the railway authorities went on saying that no decision had been taken in this regard. But going by the tone and tenor of the notification, it is clear that the railways merged the section with Guntakal long ago. Now, as if to show its magnanimity, the Hospet-Torangal (excluding) section has been handed over to the Hubli Division.

The Hospet-Bellary secton is a major revenue-earning sector through the transportation of iron ore. The demand of the people of North Karnataka had been that the sector should be retained with the Hubli Division. The South-Central Railway Mazdoor Union, Hubli Division, while opposing the move, has said that the reduction in the jurisdiction of the Hubli Division was not only an axe on its development but an hurdle in the establishment of the South-Western Railway Zone headquarters in Hubli as there would be no earning section. Although, the entire earnings of all zonal railways ultimately accounted for Indian Railways, there should be justifiable earnings by each zone. With the formation of South-Western Railway Zone in Hubli on one side and reducing the jurisdiction of Hubli Division is not in anybody's interest, the union said.

The union was not making its demand on any regional basis but in the interest of developing railways for which earnings was the base. Hubli Division was under the control of Southern Railway earlier and thereafter under South-Central Railway before being transferred to South-Western Railway. Similarly, why not Guntakal be made part of the South-Western Railway, the union asked.

It has demanded that the Hubli Division jurisdiction should be maintained up to Bantanal on Hubli-Hospet-Guntakal section.

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