Gajwel-Siddipet railway line to be ready in 60 days, says TS Finance Minister Harish

SIDDIPET: Finance Minister T Harish Rao on Thursday announced that the construction of the railway line from Gajwel to Siddipet will be completed within the next 60 days, following which the railway authorities will conduct a trial run.

The government has allocated Rs 500 crore for the construction of the railway line from Siddipet to Sircilla, and the tendering process has been finalised, he said, adding that the construction work is scheduled to commence within the next 10 days.

On Thursday, Harish inspected of the ongoing works of the railway track and railway underpass at Mandapally in the Siddipet constituency, accompanied by revenue and railway officials.

During the visit, he urged the railway authorities to expedite the work on the track and emphasised that a trial run should be conducted from Gajwel to Siddipet before August 15. He mentioned that the railway line spanning 151.4 km from Manoharabad to Kothapally in Medak district is currently under construction with the 32-km stretch from Manoharabad to Gajwel already completed.

The minister highlighted the successful arrival of the train in Gajwel and the establishment of the rake point, which has greatly benefited the farmers. The construction of the 32.1-km track from Gajwel to Duddeda has been completed.

Hits out at BJP

Following the inspection of the railway works, Harish visited Malyala village in the Narayanaraopet mandal. During the visit, he inaugurated the function hall, library and anganwadi buildings in the village. Addressing the gathering at a meeting organised on this occasion, he highlighted that while 16 States in the country do not provide any pension to beedi workers, the Telangana government ensures that beedi workers receive pensions.

He also criticised the Uttar Pradesh government, stating that despite claims of a “double engine” government by the BJP, the State actually suffers from a lack of electricity, leading farmers to rely on 20 lakh oil engine motors to irrigate their crops. In contrast, Telangana provides 24 hours of free electricity for agriculture, unlike neighbouring states such as Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka, which offer only seven hours of electricity for agricultural purposes.

Harish expressed his gratitude to the villagers, referring to them as his source of strength and motivation. He assured them of his dedication to serving the people and stated that he would continue to work hard as long as he had their blessings and support.