Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (KM)

Mangalore, Nov 17: The union government is solely responsible for the resumption of the Mangalore- Bangalore passenger train service, said Ivan D`Souza, district vice-president of the Congress at a press conference here on Saturday November 17. 

He further said that state BJP president D V Sadanand Gowda is misleading the people saying that he will start the train to Bangalore.  He has even set deadlines. "But he has never bothered about it.  He acts as if he is the sole authority in this issue.  But little does he know that state government can do little in Railway issues which comes under union government," he opined.

Terming agitations like rail- rokho by parliament members representing BJP "a mere political gimmick," the vice-president added that if DV Sadananda Gowda attempts any such attention- seeking methods, it will be opposed as DV Sadanada Gowda is just a publicity monger who confirms his presence only if the possibilities of results are certain. 

It is the responsibility of the state government to see that whether highways are maintained. But the state government has utterly failed to carry out the responsibility. Sadananda Gowda has been leading too hectic schedule to spare time to highly important issues like hike in the water bill, which is hub of problems. Water bill is hiked though water supply is in-frequent, he alleged. 

The present state government has never done justice to Dakshina Kannada district, especially in the case of road maintenance. It must be ruled out that the central government has shown great indifference to projects sanctioned to the state, MG Hegde, a local leader of Congress, said while answering to the questions raised by media persons that the interference of the central (UPA) government has delayed the resumption of the train service and the central government must be held equally responsible for the bad maintenance of highways.

Ashraf, Shashidar Hegde and Santosh Shetty, corporators were present at the press conference.