Udupi: Konkan Railway to merge with Indian Railways?

Udupi : Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shobha Karandlaje, expressed her intention to advocate for the merger of Konkan Railway with the Indian Railways.

During a press conference held on Saturday, Karandlaje, who was present to share details about nine years of governance under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, acknowledged that while progress has been made in various areas over the past nine years, the development of the railway sector in the coastal region of Karnataka has encountered obstacles due to the separate status of Konkan Railway as a corporation, which hampers infrastructure upgrades.

She emphasised the importance of merging the Konkan Railway with Indian Railways by incorporating it into the South Western Railway in order to address the lack of track doubling in the region.

Karandlaje further highlighted the demand for increased train services along the Konkan route, which stretches from Kerala to Mumbai via Karnataka and Goa. However, the existing single track does not allow for a significant increase in traffic. While railway stations across the country are undergoing development to match the standards of airports, Konkan Railway Corporation has been hesitant to upgrade the infrastructure due to financial constraints, she lamented.

The minister revealed that she has raised this issue with the Union Railway Minister, noting that while the railway sector is growing in India with separate tracks for commercial and passenger trains, the Konkan route has been deprived of essential facilities.

Turning her attention to a recent train accident in Odisha, Karandlaje called for a thorough investigation into the incident and assured that the Union government has already initiated its own inquiry.

Regarding the ongoing protests by wrestlers in Delhi, Karandlaje claimed that such protests in India receive international support. She referenced her previous statements during elections, asserting that individuals like George Soros spare no effort to destabilise India, and those participating in protests within the country receive external funding. Karandlaje further mentioned that the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports is actively looking into the matter.

In relation to the guarantee schemes introduced by the Congress party, Karandlaje highlighted the predicament faced by the Andhra Pradesh government, which, despite implementing various freebies for the public, is struggling to pay its employees’ salaries due to financial constraints.

She suggested that experts from Karnataka should visit Andhra Pradesh to conduct a study, emphasising the need for Karnataka to avoid bankruptcy. Karandlaje concluded by stating that the Congress guarantee schemes would not significantly impact the upcoming Lok Sabha election.