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Guntakal division seeks funds for rail lines
The Guntakal Railway division, one of the top revenue spinners in the South Central Railway, is getting a raw deal in the railway budget successively for over a period. The people are seeking justice to their railway division at least in the budget for 2016.
Anantapur: The Guntakal Railway division, one of the top revenue spinners in the South Central Railway, is getting a raw deal in the railway budget successively for over a period. The people are seeking justice to their railway division at least in the budget for 2016.
Guntakal emerged as a crucial junction on train routes to Hyderabad, Vijayawada and destinations in Odisha. Daily on an average 120 trains pass through Guntakal and 40 special a week. Revenue to the department from the division from passenger trains is put at Rs 338 crore and Rs 200 crore from goods trains. Rs 300 crore is spent annually in the division to implement development projects.
The green signal was given away in 2008 to set up a 100-electric engine loco shed at a cost of Rs 140 crore, but the progress of works execution is tardy and past the deadline, March 31, 2012. The proposed 6-km long bypass railway line Maddikere-Nancharla proposed at a cost of Rs 15 crore did not progress at all.
The rail bridge across the Pennar river at Pamidi was proposed in 2009 at a cost of Rs 25 crore, but it did not progress at all. The railway budget for 1996-97 allocated Rs 883 crore for 126-km-long railway track works between Nandyal and Yerraguntla. So far, Rs 751 crore could be released for the works and 30 km-long track development works is still pending. The railway budget for 2015-16 saw allocation of Rs 130 crore to the division, but the funds are yet to trickle down.
It was estimated to cost Rs 2,050 crore to lay Kadapa-Bangalore rail route. A sum of Rs 199.22 crore has been spent for land acquisition and survey. The railway track works are in initial stages with the allocation of Rs 15 crore in the budget for 2015-16.
The 99-km-long Mantralayam-Kurnool railway track proposed to be laid at a cost of Rs 500 crore, but only Rs 2 crore could be released. Former Railway Minister Kotla Suryaprakash Reddy proposed a coach repair unit in Kurnool at a cost of Rs 110 crore. The state government acquired land and handed over it to the railways. The latest railway budget is likely to allocate funds to the repair unit. The proposed Rayadurgam-Tumkuru track laying works could be completed only up to 50 km distance out of the total 202 km.
Dealy in releasing Rs 50 crore to Guntakal-Kalluru, Kalluru-Dharmavaram track doubling works, the works could not take off immediately. The railway board prepared reports that Guntur-Guntakal double line works require Rs 1,400 crore. The cost to be shared by state and central governments equally.
Survey on railway project works between Dharmawaram and Pakala are getting delayed and work on Hospet-Guntakal track works are progressing at a snail’s pace.
Devolution of Rs 1.10 crore is needed for Renigunta-Tirupati track works. Track doubling works for a stretch of 13 km for want of funds have been stalled on the Rayachuru-Guntakal route.
