Jana Sena Party coordinator for North Andhra Nagalakshmi Choudhary has described the proposed South Coast Railway (SCoR) zone with its headquarters in Visakhapatnam as the ‘lifeline’ of Andhra Pradesh, saying that it would help spur development in the region, apart from creating employment opportunities.
Addressing the media on February 4 (Sunday), Ms. Nagalakshmi said that location of the zonal headquarters in Visakhapatnam would end the injustice that has been meted out to north Andhra region for years.
Highly patronised trains such as Visakha Express, which used to originate from Visakhapatnam, were extended to Bhubaneswar, ignoring the interests of the passengers of this region.
Saying that the only solution to end the injustice would be the early operationalisation of the SCoR Zone, the JSP leader recalled the pre-election statements of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy that he would make the Central government implement the assurances given in the A.P. Reorganisation Act, 20214 if the YSRCP was given an adequate representation in Parliament.
She alleged that the YSRCP government had failed to allot 53 acres sought by the Centre for setting up of the zonal headquarters in Visakhapatnam. She wondered whether the Chief Minister had ever raised the issue related to the railway zone with the Union Railway Minister during his visits to New Delhi. She said that the Centre would fulfil its assurance on the railway zone and JSP president Pawan Kalyan would strive for it.
