Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam   

Opposition leaders meet ECoR GM

— PHOTO: C.V. SUBRAHMANYAM

FERVENT PLEA: Leaders of Pratyeka Railway Zone Sadhana Committee submitting a memorandum to East Coast Railway General Manager A.K. Vohra in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday.

VISAKHAPATNAM: Leaders of several opposition parties were refused entry into the Waltair Divisional Railway Manager's Office here on Tuesday when they tried to submit a memorandum to East Coast Railway General Manager A.K. Vohra. After much persuasion, police allowed only a handful of people, led by Pratyeka Railway Zone Sadhana Committee convener J. Satyanarayana Murthy.

After a few tense moments at the entry gate, the committee, comprising district leaders of CPI, CPI (M), TDP, Lok Satta, MCPI and BJP, met the General Manager and put forward their demand for a separate railway zone with Visakhapatnam as its headquarters.

“The Waltair Division had been contributing Rs.3,500 crores annually, but step-motherly treatment has been meted out every time in all aspects,” said BJP district president M. Nagendra and wanted all four north costal Andhra districts from East Godavari to Srikakulam be included in the new zone. There was economic viability in establishing the zone, he observed.

The committee convener, handing over the memorandum to the General Manager, demanded all trains plying via Duvvada be diverted to Visakhapatnam railway station so that passengers could entrain and detrain without much difficulty.

“Facilities existing since inception of the railway station here should be restored,” he argued and pointed out that with two new platforms getting added, handling of all the trains was an easy task.

After giving a patient hearing, Mr. Vohra, who reviewed the situation with new Divisional Railway Manager N. Kasinath, promised the delegation leaders of all possible help from his side and try to sanction whatever was within his purview. “Decision on the creation of new zone has to be taken at the Railway Ministry and Railway Board level,” he told them.

Others who met the General Manager included TDP leader V. Ganesh Kumar, G.V.M. Reddy from MCPI (U), R.K.S.V. Kumar from CPI (M), P.V.N. Madhav of BJP, Suresh Kumar and Behari Lal from Lok Satta.

The Railway General Manager talked to the Department Heads to ascertain the current situation in the Waltair Division.

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