Odisha not against AP rail zone

New Delhi: BJD MP Prasanna Kumar Patasani has made it clear that Odisha government was not against creation of railway zone with Visakhapatnam as its head-quarters.

The MP from Bhubaneswar, participating in the meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs here on Thursday, disputed the claim that the Odisha was against the formation of the railway zone.

According to sources, Standing Committee chairman P Chidambaram, reviewing implementation of the promises made in AP State Reorganisation Act 2014, wanted to know why so many assurances had remained unfulfilled.

Expressing displeasure over the way the officials had acted on implementing the bifurcation Act, the Standing Committee chairman referred to Section 108 which laid down that the promises made in the Act should be fulfilled within three years. He wanted to know why so much delay had taken place with regard to setting up of new educational institutions in both AP and Telangana states, among others.

The officials, in reply, told him that the issues relating to railway zone, revenue deficit and according special category status to AP were under the consideration of the government. The committee decided to prepare a report on the way the bifurcation assurances are being implemented in both AP and TS, sources said.