HYDERABAD: Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has indirectly hinted that there is no chance of setting up of a railway coach factory at Kazipet as the existing capacity and planned augmentation of capacities in existing factories are sufficient to meet the Indian Railways requirements in the near future.
In reply to an unstarred question of TRS MP G Ranjith Reddy in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Goyal said that a statement was laid on the table of the House in reply to the question.
Ranjith Reddy asked what were the steps taken by the Central government to set up a rail coach factory in Kazipet and the time by which it was likely to be made operational.
He also wanted to know how the Railways justifies the proposed purchase of coaches from private players or importing them instead of setting up a rail coach factory, which would provide jobs.
The statement laid on the table in reply to TRS MP’s question stated that: “The Andhra Pradesh State Reorganisation Act, Schedule 13, Item No. 10 mentions that ‘Indian Railways shall, within six months from the appointed day, examine the feasibility of establishing a Rail Coach Factory in the successor State of Telangana and improve rail connectivity in the State and take an expeditious decision thereon’.
“To inter-alia, examine the feasibility of establishing a rail coach factory, a Committee of Senior Railway Officers had been constituted. The Committee has submitted its report. In view of the complexities involved, the matter is under detailed examination.”