Traffic came to a halt for nearly two hours near the busy Rail Nilayam on Monday owing to a demonstration by an all-party joint action committee from the erstwhile Warangal district demanding announcement in the Union Budget of railway coach factory at Kazipet, as assured in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act.
The protest was marred by a heated argument between the police and Government Chief Whip and Warangal (West) MLA D. Vinay Bhaskar who led the crowd that also included Vice-Chairman of the Telangana State Planning Board B. Vinod and leaders of Congress, CPI, CPI (M) and Telangana TDP.
The protestors demanded the Centre to form Kazipet railway division and complete Kazipet-Huzurabad-Karimnagar railway line. Mr. Vinod Kumar said they would intensify the stir for coach factory if the announcement was not made in the Budget.
He stated that the State government had already acquired and handed over the land.
Mr. Vinay Bhaskar said they would not allow BJP leaders visit the district in case the coach factory was not announced. A delegation of JAC later submitted a memorandum to the General Manager of SCR Sanjeev Kishore with demands, including setting up a period overhaul shop for repair of wagons at Kazipet and upgrading the poly clinic there into sub-divisional hospital.
Yadava Reddy (TRS), J. Raghava Reddy (Congress), M. Ravi (CPI), Chukkaiah (CPI-M), Goverdhan (CPI-ML), Bhikshapathi (MRPS) and several others participated in the protest.
