Kakinada rail dream set to materialise

Kakinada: Hope for a rail link between Kakinada and Pithapuram, the project that has been pending for decades, has been revived. Earlier, there were reports that the project was shelved even though Rs 200 crore had been allocated for it earlier. The project has become a prestige issue for Kakinada MP Thota Venkata Narasimham to achieve.

The main railway line is very important for Kakinada-Kotipalli-Naraspuram railway line to run trains in main track. Amalapuram MP Pandula Ravindra Babu is also paying attention to the Kakinada-Pithapuram main railway line project and met Union railway minister Piyush Goel and higher officials of Railways on the project along with Mr Narasimham. Both the MPs submitted representations to the Union railway minister and Railway higher officials.

"Mr Piyush Goel has responded favourably to the railway project and gave his nod to clear it as Rs 200 crore has been released for the purpose. The project would be materialised soon without delay," said Mr Narasimham. He said that in his letter to the Union railways, he explained the commercial viability and the need of the railway line to Kakinada Port town which links other ports in the state," said Mr Narasimham, adding that the minister also was convinced and instructed the railway authorities to approach at it favourable for materialising the project. 

The Chief Minister N.Chandrababu Naidu also wrote a letter to Mr Piyush Goel not to shelve the project. He stated that the General Manager of South Central Railway of 2012 justified the reason for freezing the already sanctioned Kakinada-Pithapuram Railway lilne by relying on incorrect facts and figures. He said the railway line (21.50 kms) figured in the Pink Book with requisite funds to commence the project. He said that the newline has been sanctioned in the year 1999-2000 on cost sharing with state government of Andhra Pradesh and the state government has given a commitment of land free of cost for this new line. In order to obtain optimum benefits of the new line and provide alternative route between Kakinada-Machilipatnam and Vijayawada, it is very important that these three port towns are linked. 

The BJP is also making efforts for its completion. The party state executive member U. Venkataramana (Chinababu) and senior leader Pydah Krishna Mohan said that the BJP State President K. Haribabu also wrote a letter to the Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and the Union minister for railway Piyush Goel for implementation of the project. He said that the BJP was keen on achieving the project as previously also it brought the line in budget.