No Railway Zone for AP now, Center confirms!

Vishakapatnam may have to wait longer for a new railway zone. The Union Railways Ministry confirmed that it will not be possible to decide on this issue until March 31, 2015 which means this Railway Budget will not have a mention of it. In the reply given to Hyderabad-based software engineer Bharath Gorantla’s RTI query, the railways ministry has said that the creation of a new railway zone is complex and it has sought extension with the Union Home Ministry until March 31, 2015, to examine the issue.

According to the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, the Special Zone will be given to the truncated state and committee was appointed to decide about it in six months after the appointed day. The six months time lapsed with out any progress and now this new extension.

Special Railway Zone to Vishakapatnam is also one of the prime poll promises of BJP in the last elections. But it has got insensitive to the demand after the elections mainly due to the pressure from Odisha as the government requires the support of BJD MPs in Rajya Sabha.