Andhra Pradesh was allocated only Rs.116 crore in the Railway budget for the ongoing railway line projects against its request for Rs. 650 crore.
Though Chief Minister N.Chandrababu Naidu and a team of ministers met the Union Railway Minister and sought funds for six important ongoing projects --Nandyala-Yerraguntla, Venkatayapalem-Obulavanipalem line that connects Krishnapatnam port to mineral rich areas of Rayalaseema, Kotipalli-Narsapur line, Nadikudi-Srikalahasthi, Kadapa-Bangarupeta and Kakinada-Pithapuram- the allocation belied the State’s expectations.
The Railway Minister, however, made provision for Rs.208 crore for the Venkatayapalem-Obulavanipalem to be executed by RVNL, a corporation of Railways in association with the State government other SPV partners including Krishnapatnam port, NMDC, Jindal company.
R. Kishore Babu, Social Welfare Minister, who accompanied the Chief Minister to the Railway Minister said here on Tuesday that the State government would pursue with the Railway Ministry to re-appropriate the budgetary allocation so as to allocate funds to the ongoing projects from the inactive projects.
For gauge conversion too only Rs.67 crore was sanctioned, he said.
