Ravi demands fair deal for Kerala in Railway budget

New Delhi, Feb 21 (UNI) Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi has urged his cabinet colleague and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad to give a fair deal to Kerala in his forthcoming Railway Budget and remove the feeling of neglect.

"Over the last few years, a feeling has grown about the demands and aspirations of the people of Kerala not beng addressed in the successive railway budgets," he said in a letter to Mr Prasad.

Mr Ravi demanded establishment of a new railway zone for Kerala and a Railway Coach Component factory at Alappuzha, electrification of Shoranur-Mangalapuram line, doubling of Kasaragod-Shoranur, Ernakulam-Kayamkulam railway line and announcement of dedicated high speed corridors for passenger and freight services for Kerala.

"With the UPA government being in power and the ruling party in the state being a constitutent of the UPA, the people of Kerala are expecting that it would be possible for the Government of India to accommodate their demands in the forthcoming railway budget," Mr Ravi said.

UNI SH MS KN1858