MPs pitch for pending rly projects

TRS members ASR Naik and B Narsaiah Goud, during a debate on Railway Budget, demanded establishment of a medical college which can be attached to Railway Hospital in SecunderabadOur Bureau

New Delhi: TRS MPs, A S R Naik and B Narsaiah Goud on Wednesday urged Union Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhu to consider speeding up the work on the pending works Telangana State. They raised the issue during the debate on Railway Budget taken up late in the evening on Tuesday.

Prof Naik said Railways should have a commitment towards the tribal people of the country too while pointing out that the long pending demands of the tribals of his constituency had not been fulfilled so far.

He said though funds were sanctioned in the year 2013-14, the new railway line from Manuguru to Ramagundam, which covers 180 villages in four districts, was yet to take shape.

The coal corridor as it was called, this line would go a long way in catering to the needs of the tribals who throng the important Medaram Jatara which is celebrated in Yeturu Nagaram in his district.

The traffic density could be understood by the fact that about 4,000 buses officially ply during the festival apart from lakhs of other vehicles including two wheelers and bullock carts.

There was also a demand for a second line from Bhadrachalam to Kovvuru which would reduce the Secunderabad-Visakhapatnam distance by a 100 kms. There was yet another request pending for a new line from Pandurangapur to Sarapaka and Bhadrachalam which was a pilgrim centre.

He also sought reintroduction of a passenger train between Dornakal and Yellendu which was a coal production belt. He spoke on the Railway Coach Factory promise made during the Reorganisation of the State for Kazipet and urged the government to fulfil the same.

On the other hand, Narsaiah Goud, urged the Railway Minister to sanction a dry port to the State in Bibinagar because Telangana State was a cotton growing State mostly. Lack of coast line was a drawback for the State which was also a defence manufacturing hub of India.

The State government was willing to do its bit in this regard and a dry port at Kazipet too would help the State, he added. While thanking the Minister for announcing conversion of Secunderabad Station as a model station, he said, however, that the Detailed Project Report, had not been completed in this regard so far.

The Chief Minister had already signed an MoU with the Central government for a joint venture to develop Railways in the State and it should not be further delayed. Secunderabad should become a top-end model station in the country itself.

Bringing to the notice of the Minister that the Railway officials were asking them to explain the commercial viability of every new halt proposed, he wondered how was it possible to explain the same without providing a halt first.

He also asked the Minister to direct the zonal officials to hold meaningful zonal committee meetings instead of acting like mere postal service officials. Lastly, he said, as the Secunderabad Railway zone had huge infrastructure it should consider to sanction a Railway Medical College attached to the Railway Hospital which could benefit the children of the Railway Employees immensely.

Referring to the construction of Railway underpasses, he said the Railways should keep in mind that harvester machines need to reach the villages around the underpasses while constructing the same.