Telangana seeks railways in 13 districts
Seetaram Naik said rail connectivity to all the districts will help in faster development and accessibility to all sections of people.
Hyderabad: The TRS government wants rail connectivity in 31 newly-formed districts in Telangana state. TRS Mahbubabad MP Prof Ajmera Seetaram Naik made this proposal at the South Central Railway zonal meet, along with several other proposals by state MPs on Thursday.
He sought a separate Kazipet railway division since the Centre had failed to establish a wagon factory. MPs and other representatives from Telangana, Maharashtra and Karnataka attended the meeting chaired by SCR GM Vinod Kumar at Rail Nilayam. Seetaram Naik said rail connectivity to all the districts will help in faster development and accessibility to all sections of people.
“In my own constituency, there are stretches of tribal belt with no rail connectivity. It’s a cheap mode of transport and needs to be expanded further. While thanking the Centre for providing projects in the budget and better allocations this time, a lot more has to be done in Telangana State,” he told Deccan Chronicle.
Naik said though Southern States contributed 60 percent of the total revenues of Indian Railways, the Central government was not providing jobs, rail networks and new connectivity — in that ratio.
“The newly-formed Telangana State should have more rail network for rapid development. Our youth should get priority in jobs in our railway zone. We asked the General Manager to send the requests of respective state governments to the Centre for necessary action,” he said. He wanted all major trains like Charminar, Satavahana, Simhapuri trains to halt at Jangaon railway station which provides ' 3 crore revenue annually, a foot overbridge there, and also to extend MMTS till Bhuvanagiri.
Another TRS MP Narasaiah Goud requested taking up of Bibinagar—Nadakudi double line on priority, introduction of new intercity express Kazipet—Hyderabad while MP Gutha Sukender Reddy expressed unhappiness over functioning of the railways, adding that Nalgonda-Macherla proposed railway line was yet to take off and sought a new Hyderabad—Amravati express train. TRS MPs also referred to several pending railway projects across the state and sought immediate action.