Centre sanctioned Maya Zone not railway zone: Chandrababu Naidu

Vijayawada: Stating that the BJP-led Union government once again betrayed the people of Andhra Pradesh on implementation of Bifurcation Act, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday said that the Central government sanctioned Maya zone and not the Vizag Railway zone.

He made harsh comments over the announcements made by the Union government on creation of new Railway zone -- South Coastal Railway Zone with headquarters at Vizag.

Chandrababu Naidu said a separate railway zone with Vizag as the headquarters is the dream of people of North Coastal districts for the past 30 years but the BJP has betrayed them. The chief minister participated in the ration dealers’ awareness meeting organised at the Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation stadium on Thursday. 

Addressing the gathering, Chandrababu Naidu said the key revenue earning areas were merged in South Eastern Railway zone while low income areas are merged with the newly-created South Coastal Zone. Chandrababu Naidu said the newly-created South Coastal Railway zone would lose revenue of Rs 7,500 crore every year because high revenue areas are not included in South Coastal Zone. 

He said that the BJP government had once again betrayed the people of Andhra Pradesh and it created a Maya Zone. He said the people of Andhra Pradesh have not got what they thought of.

He said our students are attacked in other places when they go to attend the Railway Recruit Board examinations to get jobs. He said many job aspirants are going to other places due to lack of RRB in the state. 

He alleged the Central government has also not sanctioned HPCL Refinery as promised during the time of bifurcation. Referring to ration shops, Chandrababu Naidu said the ration shops should be converted to mini super bazaars in the state. He said Rs.15 crore commission dues pending to the dealers would be released soon.

“Ration dealers should extend support to the people and the government will give you all kinds of co-operation,” the chief minister said. Referring to Pulwama terror attack and subsequent developments taking place at Indo-Pakistan border, Chandrababu Naidu said the BJP government is politicising the very sensitive issue of Pulwama terror attack.

He recalled that BJP leader Yedyurappa of Karnataka told the media that the BJP would win 22 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka due to the popularity gained by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. The CM said, “Indians are not innocent and they would teach a lesson to the BJP.”