Kozhikode, Saturday 04 July 2009: The top leadership of the UDF, including Oommen Chandy, Leader of the Opposition, and Muslim League State general secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty, has hailed the railway budget as “pro-people, particularly towards the people of Kerala.”

The UDF leaders thanked Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee and her deputy and Muslim League leader E. Ahamed at separate press meets on Friday “for responding so enthusiastically and favourably to the State’s demands for better railway facilities.”

Chandy and Kunhalikutty also acknowledged the contributions that Ahamed, the Minister of State for Railways, and the newly-elected MPs from Kerala had made towards the “pro-Kerala Railway Budget.” “Kerala never had so many ministers in Union government and the State never benefited so much from earlier railway budgets,” Chandy said.

Chandy said railway passengers in northern Kerala had every reason to rejoice since their long-standing demand for doubling of Mangalore-Shoranur rail-line was proposed to be completed this financial year itself.

When it was pointed out that Banerjee was mum on the subject of the promised railway coach factory for Palakkad, Chandy said the project was very much on. He had information that the foundations for the project would be laid as soon as the State government released sufficient land.

The Nilambur-Najancode and Thalassery- Mysore rail lines had not been addressed in the budget. The main objections against these proposals had been that their execution would involve destruction of forests.