There is still uncertainty and confusion prevailing over the possible formation of a newly railway zone in the new state of Andhra Pradesh (after bifurcation) with Visakhapatnam in all probability as the headquarters or it could even be Vijayawada as the latter is going to be the capital city.
There was a movement for formation of a new railway zone with Visakhapatnam as the headquarters even before the agitation for a separate Telangana gathered momentum, ultimately resulting in the bifurcation of the State in 2014.
The people of Visakhapatnam and surrounding districts districts have been demanding the formation of a Visakhapatnam railway zone as Waltair division of the East Coast Railway (Ecor) was the highest revenue earner and the most important.
It was felt that the north-coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh were not getting their due in Ecor in spite of their importance from the revenue point of view and other respects. In the backdrop, the demand for a separate Visakhapatnam rail zone was being voiced.
After the bifurcation of the State, it was felt that as a part of the promised package to the new AP, a new rail zone would come into existence with Vizag as the headquarters.
But there were competing claims for Vijayawada as well, with demands that a new railway zone be formed with Vijayawada as the headquarters, comprising the Waltair division of the Ecor, and the three divisions of Vijayawada, Guntur and Guntakal from the South Central Railway (SCR). Naturally, the idea is being opposed by the people of Visakhapatnam and the north-coastal districts in general.
While Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has categorically stated on more than one occasion that the headquarters of the new railway zone in Andhra Pradesh should be in Visakhapatnam, different statements by various groups are creating confusion.
K. Haribabu, member of Parliament from Visakhapatnam and also the State BJP president, had said at public meetings in the past that the headquarters should be located in Visakhapatnam as Vijayawada was chosen as the capital and the Chief Minister was also in favour of decentralised development.
He has said: “The Chief Minister and I told Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu that both the TDP and the BJP want the headquarters of the new zone should be in Visakhapatnam, when he sought our opinion on the issue. Irrespective of what the committee set up by the Railway Board says, establishing a new zone is a ‘political decision’ and I am confident that the zone headquarters will be in Visakhapatnam.”
It remains to be seen whether Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu will put an end to the uncertainty in the coming Railway Budget.