VISAKHAPATNAM: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday said South Coastal Railway Zone with headquarters at Visakhapatnam will be operational soon. The minister gave this assurance to YSRC parliamentary party leader V Vijayasai Reddy and YSRC floor leader in the Lok Sabha Mithun Reddy when they met him in New Delhi.
Vijayasai brought to the notice of the minister that even after three years of the announcement of the railway zone by the then railway minister, there has been inordinate delay in operationalising the zone. To this, the minister said the railway zone will start functioning soon.
Meanwhile, MPs B Satyavati, MVV Satyanaranaraya, Chinta Anuradha, Gorantla Madhav, Talari Rangayya and S Reddappa said the union railway minister had made it clear that there was no second thought on railway zone at Visakhapatnam. “There was no room for misgiving as work for setting up a new railway zone had already started. The same was made clear by the Union railway minister in Parliament,” Satyavati said.
After suspicion arose following a statement by the Union minister over new railway zones in the Lok Sabha, she said they spoke to the minister, who said the railway zone was part of the bifurcation Act promise and that it will be fulfilled.
The railway minister had only said that when a new railway zone is proposed, State will not be taken as a criterion. Based on resources and the situation in the area, new railway zones will be set up, Satyavati pointed out.
The minister had told them that the work of the railway zone will continue and `300 crore will be earmarked for the zone. Of this, `180 crore is for Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada divisions and `120 crore for the Rayagada division.
“Setting up of the railway zone will take six to seven years and an OSD has already been appointed in Vizag. A DPR for the zone has already been submitted,” she explained. The Centre will take steps with regard to the location of the zonal office and division. The party had also urged the minister to continue the Waltair division in the new zone.
Meanwhile, CPI leader and convener of Railway Zone Sadhana Samiti JV Satyanarayana Murthy said a delegation of the CPI will visit New Delhi on December 14 and 15 and meet the railway minister.
“The BJP demanded a railway zone when it was in the opposition. With the announcement of the creation of a new south coastal zone with headquarters in Visakhapatnam, BJP cadre and its leaders held celebrations at the railway station. However, the railway minister, in his statement, said proposals to set up new railway zones will not be considered. This was nothing but cheating people of the State by the BJP government,” the CPI leader said. He condemned the Centre’s step-motherly attitude towards the State and vowed to intensify the stir demanding railway zone at Vizag.
Steel plant
Satyavati said YSRC MPs were raising their voice against the privatisation of the steel plant in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The YSRC sought an appointment with the union steel minister. “We will meet him and explain the need of continuing the steel plant in the public sector,” she explained.
“Privatisation will cause immense loss not only to employees but also to a large number of people. The navratna plant has started earning profits and won many awards, including best exporter certification. The YSRC MPs will fight against privatisation of the plant both inside and outside Parliament,” Satyanarayana asserted.