VIJAYAWADA: The Centre has informed that 31 railway projects, including 16 new lines and 15 doubling, covering a total length of 5,581 km and costing Rs 70,594 crore, falling fully or partly in Andhra Pradesh, are under different stages of either planning, approval or execution as on April 1, 2022. Out of the total works, 636 km length of track has been commissioned and an expenditure of Rs 19,414 crore has been incurred up to March, 2022.
Responding to a question raised by YSRC MP Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw said there has been a substantial increase in budget allocation and commissioning of infrastructure projects since 2014.
“The average annual budget allocation for infrastructure projects, falling fully or partly in AP, during 2014-19 has increased to Rs 2,830 crore per year from Rs 886 crore during 2009-14. This amounts to an increase of 219% over the average annual budget allocation of 2009-14,” he said.
The budget outlay for railway projects has been increased to Rs 3,885 crore in 2019-20 (338% more than average annual budget outlay during 2009-14), Rs 4,910 crore in 2020-21 (454% more than average annual budget outlay during 2009-14) and Rs 6,223 crore in 2021-22 (602% more than average annual outlay during 2009-14). For 2022-23, the highest ever budget allocation of Rs 7,032 crore has been made, which is 694% more than the average of 2009-14 (Rs 886 crore per year).
