Railway Budget totally disappointing says Kerala CM

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 25: Terming the Union Railway Budget totally disappointing for Kerala, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy today (Feb 25, 2006)said an all-party delegation would rush to Delhi to get justice for the state.

Reacting sharply to the budget proposals, he told newspersons here that though his government had put forward 16 demands, including setting up a railway zone and introduction of new trains, there was no satisfactory decision on these.

To express its strong protest, the government would send an all-party delegation to Delhi soon. The date would be finalised in consultation with Leader of the Opposition V S Achuthanandan.

He said Kerala had a legitimate claim for a railway zone by incorporating three divisions of Thiruvananthapuram, Palakkad and Salem.

A new train between Bangalore and Thiruvananthapuram was a long pending demand of the state, but there was no proposal in this budget also.

UNI