Congress wants full-fledged railway zone for Vizag

Rajamahendravaram: Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president N Raghuveera Reddy asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Visakhapatnam on March 1 after announcing a full-fledged railway zone to Visakhapatnam for the benefit of the South Coast Railway Zone announced on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters at a hotel here on Thursday, Raghuveera Reddy demanded the Central government to retain the existing Waltair railway division intact in the new zone which yields annual income of Rs 11,000 crore a year.

The UPA government mentioned clearly in AP Reorganisation Act that a full-fledged railway zone to the state, he said while adding that the BJP government again cheated the people of the state by announcing a truncated railway zone. 

Criticising the BJP leaders in the state for bowing before the feet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi mortgaging the interests of the state, he said they should be ashamed for it and wondered how could they celebrate the railway zone announcement.  

He said people trust Rahul Gandhi’s assurance that he would sign the file according Special Category Status (SCS) to AP immediately after coming to power. Moreover 21 parties are supporting him at the national level, he added. 

The PCC chief said Pratyeka Hoda Praja Bharosa Yatra was receiving tremendous response from the people who are realising the facts now and are ready to support Congress. The party will contest all the 175 Assembly and 25 Parliamentary seats in the seats on its own, he said adding that there was no need to beg any party for alliances. 

Raghuveera Reddy said  YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) had miserably failed to act as responsible opposition in the state and dared the party to make a statement against Prime Minister Narendra Modi with regard to the South Coast railway zone announced on Wednesday.

Criticising Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu too for failing to get funds from the Central government for the state, he said the people would teach a lesson to the two parties in the ensuing elections.  Congress leaders MM Pallam Raju, Panabaka Lakshmi, N Raja and N V Srinivas and others were present. 

Meanwhile, a 11-year-old boy Farhan handed over a cheque for Rs 2,000 to PCC president N Raguveera Reddy here on Thursday asking him to send the amount to our armed forces who are fighting Pakistan. Farhen said the amount he donated was saved in his kiddy bank. He belongs to Kapavaram village in West Godavari district.  Raghuveera Reddy and others appreciated the gesture of the boy.