Bhimavaram: Union Minister of State for Steel and Heavy Industries Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma stated that he is prioritising the development of Narasapuram parliamentary constituency with a special focus on constructing national highways and securing new railway projects.

Speaking to the media at the district BJP office in Bhimavaram on Thursday, the Minister said that hundreds of crores of rupees have been secured for the construction of various national highways.

He mentioned that all approvals have been granted for NH 165 Bhimavaram bypass road project, initially estimated at Rs 2,500 crore. However, due to theSstate government’s increase in the Common Schedule of Rates (CSR), the project cost has now escalated to Rs 3,200 crore. He announced that Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has approved the additional Rs 700 crore, and the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Rs 3,200 crore is now ready.

Srinivasa Varma provided several updates on railway initiatives. The Chennai-Vijayawada Vande Bharat train has been extended to Narasapuram, with an official announcement expected this month. Railway officials have also agreed to provide halts for the Puri-Tirupati and Kakinada-Chennai Circar Express trains in Attili, and orders are expected within two days.

The Narasapuram-Arunachalam Weekly Special Express has been extended for another month, and Varma expressed optimism that his request to make it a regular service will be approved soon. Furthermore, railway stations in Bhimavaram, Narasapuram, and Tadepalligudem are being developed under the ‘Amrit Bharat Station’ scheme. Varma noted that the central government has already allocated Rs 26 crore for the Tadepalligudem station, with an additional Rs 18 crore now sanctioned. Additionally, Rs 7.5 crore have been approved for the construction of the goods shed road at the Tadepalligudem railway station.

Varma stated that as promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the GST Council has taken a historic decision to reduce GST slabs, which will improve the living standards of common people. He added that to prioritise public healthcare, the 18% GST on health and personal insurance has been completely removed under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. Varma criticised some parties for making baseless political accusations regarding this decision.

Addressing the future of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), Minister Varma clarified that the government is implementing tough decisions to help the plant recover from losses and become profitable. He advised opposition parties to refrain from their accusations about the plant’s privatisation, stating that the central government had provided Rs 11,500 crore to protect it.

Varma assured that the VSP’s future is secure and urged workers and trade union leaders to cooperate with the government’s efforts to make the plant profitable.

Varma also mentioned that the state government is considering building an integrated Collectorate in a convenient location for the residents of the seven assembly constituencies in West Godavari district. This new complex would house all departmental offices in one place and would also have ample parking space.