The Hindu : Neglected regions

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 19, 2002

Opinion

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Neglected regions

Sir,— There have been unfriendly comments against the proposed creation of new railway zones. They are said to be economically unviable, unnecessary and unpopular with some railway employees in Calcutta and Delhi. If all enterprises, including Railways, are to be profitable, we must close down the Metro Rail in Calcutta, suburban trains in Chennai and Mumbai, and toy trains to Darjeeling, Ooty, Shimla and elsewhere, or else we must raise the fares four fold or more, especially for the lower classes. The British, we know, laid the railways in India under guarantee for subvention for losses.

Offices and head offices have been divided and moved in business and Government regularly. The present move is for regions that have remained neglected. Bihar, for instance, is currently served by three railway zones: N.E. Railway, Eastern Railway, and until recently, S.E. Railway. Bihar has also produced about a dozen railway ministers. It used to be the second largest State populationwise, and the third largest areawise, yet in total railway mileage it used to be the ninth. Large areas in Bihar, some near the Indo-Nepal border, are even now dozens of miles away from the railways. They are also equally far away from roadways. Much of Bihar is served by metre gauge. Similar is the tale in Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Rajasthan, etc. Isn't it time to remove such anomalies?

Shreesh Chaudhary,

Chennai

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