The contentious issue of formation of separate railway zone with Visakhapatnam as the headquarters figured prominently at the three-day Mahanadu, the annual conference of Telugu Desam Party here on Monday. The issue was raised by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu during the discussion on the political resolution moved by Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu.
The Chief Minister said the TDP was very firm on its demand that the zone should be carved out of the East Coast Railway.
Mr. Naidu said the formation of railway zone was a long pending demand and the TDP was committed to it. “We will continue our pressure on the Centre to declare the zone at the earliest,” he said.
Asked to clarify reports in a section of the media that the zone would go to Vijayawada, the Chief Minister said “Our decision is final. It will be carved out with Visakhapatnam as the headquarters.’’
“There is some delay but it will come to Visakhapatnam,” Mr. Chandrababu Naidu declared.
The Chief Minister also consulted the local elected representatives earlier on the railway zone demand.
Thorny issue
The zone issue which became an important promise during the electioneering in 2014 has remained a hot issue.
The Opposition parties have been alleging that due to lack of pressure from the State, the Railway Board was citing some technical difficulties to sanction a new zone.
There were also claims that due to resistance by a Central Minister from Odisha, the Railway Board was not evincing interest to grant the zone.
Reacting to Mr. Naidu’s declaration that the zone would be sanctioned with headquarters in the city, Pendurthy MLA and former Minister Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy said the zone would definitely be created with its head office in the city.
Visits pylon site
Earlier in the morning, the Chief Minister visited the pylon of ‘Vastunna Meekosam padayatra’ at Aganampudi on the outskirts of the city. Mr. Naidu was given a warm welcome by a large number of district party leaders and workers on his arrival.