VISAKHAPATNAM: Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the Centre has been working with the State government to resolve the issues pertaining to the land, identified at Mudasarlova in the city, for construction of the South Coast Railway (SCoR) Zonal Headquarters, for which Rs 106 crore has already been allocated for establishing the zone.
During a visit to Visakhapatnam on Saturday, the Union Minister inspected the Simhachalam railway station and said that the station is set to undergo extensive development to transform it into a world-class facility at a cost of Rs 19.8 crore, replicating the Simhachalam temple’s architecture and reflecting the local culture. Ashiwini Vaishnaw inspected the Simhachalam railway station to assess the progress of redevelopment under the Amrit Bharat station scheme.
Informing that more Vande Bharat trains will be introduced, with one train being manufactured per week, the Union railway minister emphasised that the State government should take the lead in land allocation for such projects. During the interaction with the media, he stated that the investigation of the Kantakapalli railway accident in Vizianagaram district is still continuing.
He outlined the swift expansion of 5G mobile services in the country, mentioning that BSNL plans to launch 5G services by Diwali. As part of this initiative, 4,000 new cell phone towers are being installed nationwide. The majority of construction for these developments is concentrated in North Coastal areas.
Minister Vaishnaw further mentioned that numerous road flyovers and underpasses are undergoing development at a cost of Rs 18,000 crore, with three already completed and six currently in progress. MP GVL Narasimha Rao highlighted additional locations where such infrastructure is needed, prompting immediate survey work in those areas.
Later in the day, Ashiwini Vaishnaw took part in the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra programme held at Jodugullapalem in Visakhapatnam, and at Veeluparthi village in Vizianagaram.
He was accompanied by Collector A Mallikarjuna, GVMC chief CM Saikanth Varma and DRM Saurabh Prasad in Visakhapatnam, and Deputy Chief Minister Budi Mutyalanaidu, Collector S Nagalakshmi in Vizianagaram.
‘Will take decision on retaining Waltair div’
“A decision on retaining the Waltair division in the newly created South Coast Railway Zone will be taken soon,” Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Saturday. He was responding to the memorandum submitted by Uttarandhra Rakshana Vedika president SS Shiva Sankar. The report emphasised the financial viability of the Waltair division.