Dakshina Kannada Member of Parliament Captain Brijesh Chowta speaks in support of the demand for grants for the Railways in the Lok Sabha in New Delhi on March 17, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Video Grab
Dakshina Kannada Member of Parliament Captain Brijesh Chowta made a fervent appeal to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to free the Karnataka coast railway network from the hands of two corporations, which were unable to meet the growing demands of the region.
“We are stuck between these two corporations,” Capt. Chowta told the Chair on March 17 while supporting the demand for grants for Railways in the Lok Sabha. The MP appreciated massive growth in the railway network in Karnataka in the past decade, and said over 95% of the network is already electrified.
Speaking about demands of his constituency, Capt. Chowta urged the Minister to take immediate steps to merge Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) with Indian Railways. The Konkan network, connecting the south and the north, has been a vital link on the west coast of India. Yet, it was languishing with a debt burden of ₹2,589 crore thereby being unable to undertake any infrastructure development, including line doubling, the MP lamented.
Mangaluru railway region
Capt. Chowta said coastal Karnataka’s economic prosperity depends upon the merger of KRCL with the IR. Switching to Kannada, the MP said, “I also appeal to the government of Karnataka to relinquish its shares in KRCL in favour of the IR to facilitate the merger.”
Dakshina Kannada Member of Parliament Captain Brijesh Chowta demanded that the Mangaluru railway region be brought under one administration.
| Photo Credit:
ANIL KUMAR SASTRY
Similarly, the Hassan-Mangaluru Rail Development Corporation, formed during the gauge conversion of the section comes in the way of ensuring hassle-free connectivity between the coast and the rest of Karnataka. While the New Mangalore Port is celebrating its golden jubilee, trade and commerce are not growing in the expected level because of paucity in rail infrastructure. HMRDC’s merger with the IR would ensure unhindered connectivity between the coast and Bengaluru region, the MP said.
He highlighted the fact that the Mangaluru railway region is divided between three zones — KRCL, Southern Railway and South Western Railway. “It is high time that the region is brought under one administration for seamless growth of the railway network in the coast,” he demanded.
Published – March 18, 2025 12:52 pm IST