RailEnquiry

Plans stir against further bifurcation of Palakkad division.
The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) will launch mass agitations demanding that the Railways start work on the rail coach factory at Kanjikode for which foundation stone was laid eight months ago.

‘In six months’

At that function, it was announced that the work on the coach factory would begin within six months, by floating global tenders, DYFI president M.B. Rajesh, MP, told mediapersons here on Saturday.

Mr. Rajesh said that the foundation stone was laid without even finalising a joint venture partner for the project, which was in the public-private participation mode.

Election gimmick

That was a political stunt by the State government which was facing a by-election at Piravom then, he said. But after winning the election, the government seemed to have lost interest in the coach factory, Mr. Rajesh alleged.

Protest

He said that the DYFI would also launch a mass stir against the move to bifurcate Palakkad Railway Division again for creating a new Mangalore division.

The division was bifurcated a few years ago to create Salem division. This affected the income of the division drastically, he said, adding that the Palakkad division would not survive another bifurcation.

Anti-secular

On the Devaswom Bill, Mr. Rajesh said that the government’s move to give voting rights only to the believers in Hindu community was anti-democratic and anti-secular.

Such a move would only help the polarisation of people on communal lines, he said.