The city will not be deprived of the railway zone as promised, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said here on Wednesday.
Speaking at the College Day celebrations of Andhra University Science and Technology at the packed Convocation Hall, he promised that the railway zone headquarters would be set up in Visakhapatnam and nowhere else. “I will not let down the people of Visakhapatnam on this issue,” he asserted in a two-hour-long speech. Mr. Naidu also used the platform to justify the Centre’s denial of the Special Category Status and acknowledged with open arms the special package sanctioned by the NDA government. Almost taking a cue from APCC president Raghuveera Reddy’s proposal of holding a people’s ballot on the SCS issue, Mr. Naidu conducted a poll by asking the students to raise their hands if his decision of accepting the special package was right or not.
“What is wrong in the special package? It is almost similar to the SCS. As promised, the Centre has sanctioned 11 top-class institutes for A.P. It has promised to take care of the deficit finance. It has also promised to bear the entire cost of the Polavaram project and allocate funds for development of the backward areas. What more is required?” he asked.
The Chief Minister also openly came out in support of Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu. “A lot of people are now criticising Mr. Venkaiah Naidu. He has done no wrong, and he has always fought for the betterment of A.P. He has a major role in all that is being given to the State by the Central government,” he asserted. He pointed out that the Polavaram left main canal would reach Visakhapatnam in two-three years. This would solve the industrial and domestic requirements of the district.
“The project is fast progressing and from now on I have decided to dedicate every Monday to oversee the status of the project,” Mr. Naidu said.
I will not let down the people of the city on this issue
N. Chandrababu Naidu
