Ganta rubbishes talk of ‘feasibility’ on rail zone

Central government dodging the issue, he alleges

HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao releasing a poster on the torch rally proposed on May 19, in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday.

“There can be no hurdles in announcing the new railway zone with headquarters in Visakhapatnam. The talk of feasibility is nothing but trash, as the announcement is a political decision the Centre has to take,” HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao has said.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao was speaking here on Tuesday after releasing the poster on the torch rally and public meeting proposed on the Old Jail Road on May 19 seeking the railway zone.

The public meeting and torch rally were initially scheduled for May 16, and had to be postponed due to some unforeseen circumstances, the Minister told the media later.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao said there had been no “feasibility reports,” “technical reports,” or appointment of committees when new railway zones were established in the past.

‘Political decision’

“A zone headquarters was formed at a place where there was no track. Railway lines were laid as the then Railway Minister, Ram Vilas Paswan, wanted it. Another zone was formed in Karnataka as a Railway Minister wanted the zone in his home State.

This shows that establishment of zone is purely a political decision,” the Minister said.

“Visakhapatnam is the most suitable place to set up the headquarters of the new railway zone. The Centre is dodging the issue for unknown reasons,” he said.

Former MLA S.A. Rahaman; APNGOs Association leader Eswara Rao; and Uttarandhra Rakshana Vedika leader S. Siva Shankar were among those who were present.