Pandurangapuram to Sarapaka rly line yet to see light of the day

Bhadrachalam: The people in Bhadrachalam Assembly constituency are demanding the candidates contesting the Lok Sabha elections to address the issue of extension of railway line from Pandurangapuram to Sarapaka village.

It has always been a big election issue for the candidates contesting the Parliament elections for the past several decades and the elected governments too have promised to fulfil the demand.

Nevertheless, the issue remained unattended to with none of the MPs elected from Mahabubabad Lok Sabha seat, under which Bhadrachalam Assembly constituency comes, and government making any efforts to solve the problem.

It is the dream of the people in the constituency who have once again brought the issue to the fore. Despite the fact that the leaders of various parties here had promised to ensure steps to extend the railway after winning, they have simply ignored the issue. The result is the project cost has been increasing every year. When the project was conceived in 1984, it was estimated that Rs 40 crore would be required to execute the project. But now, the cost estimation has touched Rs 200 crore.

Waiting for the last 35 years

The Bhadrachalam temple attracts devotees from across the country. However, due to inadequate transport facilities, the devotees are forced to face hardships in reaching the temple. With no rail facility available, they have to depend on bus services to reach the temple. To provide easy transport services and cut short the long distance travel, the people in the temple town have been demanding the rail line from Pandurangapuram to Sarapaka for the last 35 years.

The issue was raised by several MPs on the floor of the Lower House. In 1984, Sode Ramaiah raised the issue, while MP K Kamala Kumari, who was also a deputy minister in Central cabinet, also raised the issue in the Parliament on 1989. However, nothing was materialised.

MP P Balaram Naik, who was also the deputy minister in the UPA government had also appealed to the government for the sanction of the said 14 km-long railway line. However, there was no progress.

Further, MP Sitaram Naik also appealed to the present BJP government many a times regarding the issue, but in vain.

Though many a MPs were elected and their respective terms have ended, the railway line is yet to see the light of the day.

Speaking to The Hans India, Railway line Project Sadhana Committee chairman B Shanker Reddy said, "The project is the most important one and needs a budget of just Rs 200 crore. Still the Central government is neglecting the project. The railway line is very useful to the devotees and nearby industries also. The protest programmes and signature campaigns have been conducted by the committee demanding to solve the issue. But to no use. At least now the candidates who are contesting the Lok Sabha polls should fight for the railway line."