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Railway board shifts Mangaluru area to Mysuru division
The Railway Board has ordered the transfer of the Mangaluru area, up to and including Ullal, from the Palakkad division of Southern Railway to the Mysuru division of South Western Railway, effective…
The Railway Board has ordered the transfer of the Mangaluru area, up to and including Ullal, from the Palakkad division of Southern Railway to the Mysuru division of South Western Railway, effective October 1. The move has opened a new political front between Kerala and Karnataka, with leaders from both states reacting sharply.
Kerala's political leaders have opposed the transfer, arguing it could affect rail services and administrative control for the state's northern regions. Karnataka leaders have welcomed the decision, saying it will improve connectivity and efficiency for Mangaluru and surrounding areas. The Railway Board's order is seen as an administrative rationalisation, but the political fallout is likely to continue.
Indian Opinion Analysis
This is not the first time a railway zone reorganisation has sparked a border-state dispute. In 2019, the move to merge certain divisions led to protests in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The Mangaluru region, a major port city, sits near the Kerala-Karnataka border, and its railway division determines maintenance and investment priorities. Under Indian Railways rules, division boundaries follow state borders loosely, but local MLAs and MPs often lobby for changes that favour their state's connectivity. The next flashpoint will be whether the Railway Ministry schedules a review or a meeting with chief ministers before October 1.
A similar reorganisation in 2019 over the Waltair division had to be paused after political pressure.
Source: ndtv.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
