Union Minister Kishan Reddy flags off first passenger train from Medak

Medak: Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy has called upon the leaders of Telangana to join hands for development of the State. Speaking before flagging off the first passenger train from Medak on Friday, Kishan Reddy assured all support for the development of Telangana. Terming Telangana a rich State, Reddy said the union government had […]

Medak: Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy has called upon the leaders of Telangana to join hands for development of the State.

Speaking before flagging off the first passenger train from Medak on Friday, Kishan Reddy assured all support for the development of Telangana. Terming Telangana a rich State, Reddy said the union government had granted many projects to the State since 2014.

Accusing previous governments of ignoring railway line development in Telangana over the years, Reddy said the BJP-led government had laid railway lines for 298 km in the State in the last eight years with the support of the State government. The Centre spent Rs 9,494 crores on railway lines development and had electrified 1,149 km of railway lines. These were apart from 28 Rail-under-Bridges and modernised platforms in 68 Stations across the State.

Calling the new 17.2 km railway line to Medak from Akkannapet a long cherished dream of the people, the union Minister said several MPs since the days of Indira Gandhi had demanded the railway line, which would boost the development of Medak and surrounding areas. The Railways would take up modernisation of the Secunderabad Railway Station by spending Rs.653 crore while the Cherlapally terminal was being developed to meet the needs of people living on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

Stating that the Centre would soon set up a railway factory in Warangal City, Reddy also said the Centre had spent Rs 1.04 lakh crore on development of national highways in the State in the last eight years.

When the local MLA M Padma Devendar Reddy urged the Minister to develop Medak into a tourist circuit, he said the proposal would be accepted if sent through the State government. Following the request of Dubbak MLA M Raghunandan Rao, Reddy asked railway officials to set up a ticket issuing counter at Chegunta Railway Station.

Medak MP Kotha Prabhakar Reddy, South Central Railway General Manager Arun Kumar Jain and others were present as the union Minister flagged off the train. The State and Centre had put equal shares for the Rs.205 crore spent on the project with the State government also spending an additional Rs.17 crore for land acquisition.