Union Minister seeks coordinated effort for early completion of railway projects

Hyderabad:  Underlining the need for a coordinated effort between the Central and State governments for early completion of the projects, Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw said the tender process for setting up of periodic overhauling (PoH) at Kazipet would be completed in two months.

Referring to the coach factory in Kazipet, he said the railways gave a large and long-term order for Medha Servo Drivers (MSD) Company, which is near the city. On the order basis only, MSD was able to set up the factory.

Thanking the State government for allocating land for the coach factory, Vaishnaw said the allocations were already made and the land was handed over recently. “We are thankful for the State government for handing over the land. Since funds are allocated, the tender process has started and it will be completed in two months,” he said.

“We will set up a PoH factory there,” he said. But he did not elaborate on the fate of the coach factory promised by the Central government in Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act. However, he said the Centre was committed to fulfill all its promises and wanted the State to support the Central government in its endeavors.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogan ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayaas’, Vaishnaw said: “We will have to make coordinated efforts and then only things will materialize. Step by step, let us go together work and fulfill promises.”

Stating that the UPA government has completely neglected the railways in Telangana in undivided Andhra Pradesh, he said Modi accorded priority for Telangana after 2014. He said the UPA government gave only Rs.886 crore from 2009 to 2014 for railway projects in the State.

But after Modi came to power, the allocations were increased. From Rs.1,110 crore allocated in 2014, the allocations have now gone up to Rs.2056 crore. This year, Modi gave record allocations of Rs.3,048 crore for railways in Telangana for improving amenities at the railway stations, doubling, tripling and quadrupling of the tracks.

Accord priority to MMTS

Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday urged the State government to give priority to the Multi-Modal Transport System (MMTS) by giving an outstanding amount of Rs.631 crore. “Why can’t the State government invest for the sake of people and accord priority to MMTS for the benefit of the poorest of the poor? We can always find a way to work it out,” he said.