Nanded: The long-pending demand for a separate railway division for the Marathwada region gained fresh momentum on Monday after MPs from across the region extended support during the South Central Railway (SCR) Parliamentary Consultative Committee meeting held in Nanded.
Shiv Sena MP from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Sandipan Bhumare, urged South Central Railway authorities to immediately forward a proposal to the Union Government for establishing a separate railway division for Marathwada. According to participants in the meeting, all 13 Members of Parliament from the Marathwada region supported the proposal.
The demand for a separate railway division has been raised for more than three decades by various public representatives and organisations. Proponents argue that despite being part of the South Central Railway zone, Marathwada’s railway-related issues have not received adequate attention, resulting in delays in infrastructure development and passenger amenities.
Supporters believe that creating a dedicated railway division would improve administrative efficiency, expedite pending railway projects, strengthen connectivity and facilitate faster resolution of regional railway issues.
Reacting to the development, Dr Sanjay Lakhepatil, President of the Marathwada Backlog Eradication and Development Forum, welcomed the united stand taken by the region’s MPs. He said the proposal would require collective support from all 48 Members of Parliament from Maharashtra before the Union Government could take a final decision.
He appealed to MPs across party lines to jointly pursue the proposal in New Delhi, stating that a united political effort would significantly improve the prospects of securing a separate railway division for the region.
While the proposal has received regional political backing, the final decision on the creation of any new railway division rests with the Ministry of Railways and the Union Government.
