After a landslide victory in the recent general elections, the Telugu Desam Party has become a key partner in the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre and two MPs of the party have also been accommodated in the Modi Cabinet. All these developments have rekindled the hopes for the new rail zone in Visakhapatnam, whose work makes no headway though it was announced before the last general elections in 2019.
As the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre hinges on the support of the TDP, which won as many as 16 Lok Sabha seats, many feel the TDP can get the works on the pending projects, including the rail zone, speeded up. Work on the new rail zone (South Coast Railway) with Visakhapatnam as its headquarters has come to a standstill as the Centre and the previous YSRCP government were at loggerheads on land allotment. The central government had blamed the State for the delay in work, citing non-allotment of land. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his election campaign, had faulted the YSRCP government on the issue.
Even a detailed project was prepared in 2022 by the special officer who was appointed in the same year when the zone was sanctioned. But, the blame game on the site issue caused the project to hit a roadblock.
When the new rail zone was announced, the people of Visakhapatnam felt that their long-cherished dream was fulfilled. But, their happiness soon fizzled out as the zone failed to become operational. Now, the changed scenario in the State paints a rosy picture and people hope the jinxed rail zone will be operational soon.
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This article is written by Senior Journalist Lakkoju Nagesh Babu
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