Hyderabad: The key demand from Andhra Pradesh has been the creation of a new Railway Zone, but this demand did not find any mention in the Budget. While the proposal for the new zone is currently with the special committee formed to examine the possibility of a new zone, all quarters were expecting an announcement during the Budget.

AP, however, got Rs 130 crore for the Nandyal-Yerraguntla line, Rs 110 crore for the Nadikudi-Srikalahasti project and Rs 150 crore for the Vijayawada-Bhima-varam-Nidavolu line doubling and electrification project. Also, Rs 55 crore has been allocated for the Vijayawada-Gudur line and Rs 75 crore for the Duvvada-Vijayawada line.

Speaking at a press conference held by SCR, an upbeat South Central Railway general manager P. Srivastava said, “It is for the first time that allocations for these line projects are sizeable, i.e. over Rs 100 crore. The Nandyal-Yerraguntla line is very crucial, connecting the hinterland to this part of the zone, and with such sizeable allocations, it should be completed within a year. Even the Kazipet-Vijayawada (Rs 100 crore) and Kazipet-Ballarsha (Rs 45 crore) triple lining projects have seen good allocations and these will play an important role in strengthening the connectivity in the area.”

These projects, which had been in demand for long, have now received over Rs 100 crore allocations in one go. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu said that AP deserved to get a railway zone for Visakhapatnam as it had been mentioned in the Reorganisation Act but the Centre did not give it in this railway budget.

However, he exuded confidence of getting a railway zone for Visakhapatnam and other new railway lines including speed trains for AP in the supplementary railway budget to be presented in the near future. Stating that since the Union Railway Minister had already announced that there would be a supplementary railway budget, Mr Naidu said it would not be appropriate to comment on what the Centre had given AP in this budget. “I will go to Delhi soon and take up the railway zone issue and rail connectivity between capital city and Rayala-seema and other interior parts of the city, logistics hub etc.,” he said.