Palakkad Railway Division bifurcation triggers protests in Kerala

The Railway Board has decided to bifurcate the Palakkad Railway Division, a move that involves removing the Mangaluru region and transferring its stations to the Mysuru Division under South Western Railway. The change is scheduled to take effect on October 1.

Opposition leaders from the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) have launched protests against the decision. MP Shashi Tharoor criticized the move as “unfortunate,” stating it was made without consultation with the Kerala government or state MPs. Tharoor noted that the bifurcation is expected to cause the Palakkad division to lose 1,100 crore rupees in revenue.

UDF MPs held a sit-in protest and hunger strike in Palakkad to express their opposition. Kerala Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph described the decision as unjustifiable and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene, alleging the move was politically motivated.