KTR demands new railway lines, projects from Centre

Since the formation of Telangana, just a little over 100 kilometres of railway tracks were laid in the State.

Rajanna Sircilla: Laying threadbare the discrimination of the Centre towards Telangana in allocation of funds for several railway projects, Industries Minister KT Rama Rao demanded the BJP government to ensure adequate budgetary allocations to railway projects in the State and to fulfill the assurances made to the people of Telangana.

Since the formation of Telangana, just a little over 100 kilometres of railway tracks were laid in the State. Telangana has a mere three percent of the total railway line network in the country, of which about 57 per cent were single line tracks, he said at a press conference here on Monday.

Save for the Lingampally -Vijayawada Intercity Express, no new trains were sanctioned to Telangana. The BJP-led union government had not grounded a single new railway line in Telangana in the last eight years, the Minister said.

Exposing the union government’s contribution in executing the railway projects in joint venture with State government, the Minister said the works were being taken up at snail’s pace. For the joint venture railway projects, the Telangana government contributed Rs.1,904 crore as its share while the union government had spent only Rs.1,100 crore, reflecting the BJP government’s commitment towards Telangana, he said.

“Since this will be last budget to be presented by the BJP-led union government, adequate funds should be allocated for projects in Telangana, besides fulfilling all the promises made to the people,” Rama Rao demanded.

Slamming the union government for its negligence in developing railway infrastructure in Telangana, the Industries Minister wanted BJP MPs from the State to raise their voice in the parliament over the injustice meted out to the State. Several projects, which were cleared by successive governments, were shelved by the BJP-led union government.

Survey reports for taking up different projects were gathering dust, he said, pointing out that South Central Railway did not even conduct the customary meeting with MPs from Telangana on railway lines and projects before the annual budget.

Telangana has been getting a raw deal in every budget presented by the BJP-led union government. A coach factory was assured at Kazipet under the AP Reorganisation Act but the union government denied the project and approved it for Lathur. Similarly, a Rs.20,000 crore factory was sanctioned for Gujarat, he said.

Later, citing the crisis being faced by farmers across the country, the Minister said the union government should allocate adequate funds for PM Kisan programme. Taking a cue from Telangana’s Rythu Bandhu programme, the BJP government had launched the PM Kisan Programme. Like the Telangana government, the BJP government should also extend Rs.5,000 assistance per acre for two crops annually, Rama Rao said.