Palakkad Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) A.K. Chaturvedi here on July 20 said that there is no proposal to bifurcate the Palakkad railway division to form a new division with Mangaluru as its headquarters. He said the reports about the bifurcation plans that appeared in a section of the media were “speculative.”
V.K. Sreekandan, MP of Palakkad, here on July 19 alleged that the Union Ministry had sought a report from the Railways about the formation of Mangaluru division by bifurcating Palakkad.
Mr. Chaturvedi, in a statement, refuted Mr. Sreekandan’s claims saying that it was baseless. “There have been no discussions, proposals, or plans concerning the bifurcation of the Palakkad division of the Southern Railway,” he said.
Mr. Chaturvedi said a recent meeting conducted by Union Minister of State for Railways V. Somanna with Railway officials and public representatives in Mangaluru was solely for discussing the rail development and connectivity enhancement in the Mangaluru area.
“It had no intent or discussion regarding the bifurcation of the Palakkad division. We understand the concerns this misinformation has caused among the public and would like to assure everyone that there is no bifurcation planned for the Palakkad division,” he said.
