MACHILIPATNAM: With Machilipatnam once again getting a raw deal in the Railway Budget, local people are severely disappointed as they had pinned a lot of hopes on the Modi government at the Centre.
While the erstwhile UPA government had neglected the Krishna district headquarters town during its 10-year rule, the people expected a better budget this time around, as TDP is part of the NDA government at the Centre. Also, CM Chandrababu Naidu had promised linking Repalle and Machilipatnam through a new railway line.
“When I was in the college, we had agitated for Coastal rail link in 1970s. Now I have crossed sixty but still it has not been realised. Time and again politicians keep promising it but in every budget it is ignored. Even Chandrababu Naidu, who campaigned in Machilipatnam during the elections, had promised to link Repalle and Machilipatnam, but it has been ignored,” complains Inkollu Narayana Rao, a retired employee of Machilipatnam.
Though Machilipatnam MP Konakalla Narayana Rao presented the proposals for Coastal rail link and for linking Machilipatnam and Narsapuram, there is no mention of the said proposals in the Rail Budget.
Right now, there are trains from Machilipatnam to Vijayawada, Hyderabad, Vishakapatnam and Tirupati. All these trains have to pass through Gudivada and from there part in two directions.
If Machilipatnam is linked with Repalle, then trains going southwards need not have to touch Gudivada and Vijayawada.
Another important proposal ignored by Railway Ministry is the double track project between Vijayawada and Machilipatnam. The project has been pending for long. Though it was sanctioned on an earlier occasion, funds were not released for its execution. Later, it was cancelled due to some issues related to contractors.