Railway, coastal project works in Nellore yet to gather pace

Nellore: Two important projects in the district, Sagarmala and Nadikudi-Srikalahasti railway line are going on at snail’s pace. Survey works of long-awaited railway line between Nadikudi and Srikalahasti, aimed at connecting upland areas of Guntur, Prakasam, Nellore and Chittoor districts, have been completed and the land acquisition process is yet to gather pace. 

Of 308 km railway line, only 30 km works were completed.  According to sources, the project must be completed by March 2019. A new railway line has been proposed with Rs 1,314 crore to give a boost to exports in cement and granite industries in the region.

The state government has agreed to provide lands at free of cost and assured to bear 50 per cent cost of proposed broad gauge railway line. Land acquisition process in Nellore district was also started as per GO MS 3 dated Jan 5, 2016. The new railway line would connect Srikalahasti, Venkatagiri, Rapur, Obulayapalli, Podili, Darsi, Gundlakamma, Vinukonda, Rompicherla, Nakerakal and Nadikudi areas.

A senior official of the project on condition of anonymity said, the state government has acquired 2,300 acres of land for 146 km line in Nellore district. The project requires Rs 1,300 crore and the government released Rs 300 crore and Rs 100 crore would be paid to land owners as compensation in the district.

“We expect the railway line would take another 3 years for completion,” he stated. Similar situation prevailed in the progress of Sagarmala Project, which aimed to connect important regions of coast for promoting industrial bodies to transport their products. 

The AP government had sent 90 proposals worth Rs 1,30,762 crore to the Centre under Sagarmala in the first quarter of last year. The proposed project would be taken up with Rs 1,710 crore for laying roads connecting industrial bodies, thermal power plants and the port with other parts of country. 

Under the project, seven roads will be laid in Krishnapatnam, Nellore and Naidupet areas. NHAI had conducted a GPS-based survey. A leader on the condition of anonymity said due to poor response from politicos and internal rivalries among leaders, the overall progress of district was affected. Further, a senior leader from ruling party blamed the Centre for nominal allocation of funds to these projects after the bifurcation of the state.