Rail zone: non-disclosure ofpanel report fuels speculation
The non-disclosure of the report of the railway zone committee, which had submitted its recommendations on formation of the new railway zone in Andhra Pradesh, is fuelling speculation among the people about the real intentions of the government.
The silence of the Railway Ministry though the D-Day is fast approaching, is adding to anxiety among people of the region, who have been waging struggles for the new zone with headquarters in Visakhapatnam for nearly two decades. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, during his recent visit to...
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New Delhi, had reportedly prevailed upon Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on the need to establish the new zone with headquarters in Visakhapatnam.
A Railway Zone Saadhana Samithi was formed and all political parties, including the BJP and the TDP, had been demanding a new zone with headquarters in Visakhapatnam for a long time.
MP Kambhampati Haribabu had raised the issue in the Lok Sabha and the Minister of State for Railways had only said that the Committee, formed for the purpose, has already submitted its report and the same was under the consideration of the Ministry of Railways. He, however, did not make any commitment on it.
A decision on the new zone has to be announced by December 2, as per the AP Reorganisation Act 2014. Meanwhile, the frequent trips being made by the Odisha Chief Minister to Delhi and his meeting the Prime Minister and Railway Minister along with MPs and officials has led to the talk that Odisha was insisting on retaining Waltair Division in the East Coast Railway (ECoR).
Unions’ plea
Railway trade union leaders and Telugu employees feel that any such move would make them fall from the frying pan into the fire as they fear transfer to remote locations in Odisha. They appeal to the BJP and Telugu Desam MPs and leaders to understand the gravity of the situation as any laxity on their part would give an undue advantage to the Odisha leaders. Visakhapatnam has the required infrastructure to set up the headquarters of the new zone, they add.