Date:04/07/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/07/04/stories/2009070459770300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

Mixed reaction to Railway Budget

Special Correspondent

Neglect of Waltair division continues, says TDP urban president

Purandeswari criticised for failing to keep her assurance on separate zone
Merger of the division with South Central Railway demanded

VISAKHAPATNAM: There are mixed reactions to the Railway Budget. They are on expected lines. While president of Spandana C.S. Rao and TDP urban president Kona Tata Rao were disappointed over the issue of separate zone and blamed MPs from the State, specially, Visakhapatnam MP D. Purandereswari, others like Mayor Pulusu Janardana Rao, Deputy Mayor K. Dorabbai, president of the Andhra Chamber of Commerce K.B. Narasimha Prasad, Air Travellers Association president D. Varada Reddy, welcomed the budget pointing out to the new trains and the proposal to develop a multi-complex at Visakhapatnam.

Mr. C.S. Rao said the budget had human face, but charged the local MP with failing to keep her assurance on formation of a separate zone. Mr. Tata Rao said Waltair division had been earning the maximum revenue but it had been subjected to neglect in every budget and this time it was no exception. The main demand was formation of a separate zone.

The least that was expected was merging this division with the South Central Railway. Nothing was done in this direction, Mr. Rao said, pointing out that the long-pending demand for a second line from Kirandul had also not been considered.

Concessions welcomed

While welcoming the concessions to students and tatkal passengers, Mr. Varada Reddy reiterated the demand for a new train between port cities of Visakhapatnam and Mangalore and another express between Jodhpur and Visakhapatnam to cater to the needs of tourists. Mr. Janardana Rao was happy about the introduction of a superfast train between Visakhapatnam and Mumbai via Secunderabad. Reduction of tatkal charges and period of booking time would give a great relief to businessmen, the Andhra Chamber of Commerce said.

Railway Minister Mamata Bannerjee has failed to do justice to people of the State, which stands second in earnings for the Railways, and more so to north Andhra with Waltair Division, which is earning the highest revenue, says management expert Ganti Mahapatruni Rama Rao.

Railway Ministers are, perhaps, amenable to agitational approach and not to requests and appeals. All the MP s from Visakhapatnam are ‘NRI s’ whose interests lie elsewhere. He appealed to the Chief Minister to exert pressure on the Railway Minister to safeguard the interest of the State in general and north Andhra in particular.