Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for redevelopment of 57 stations and 156 road over bridges and under bridges, including 15 stations in Telangana and 34 stations in Andhra Pradesh, as part of the countrywide exercise virtually on Monday.
Governor Tamilisai Soundarajan was the chief guest here at the Begumpet Railway Station which is also slated for development in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Rajya Sabha MP K. Laxman, South Central Railway (SCR) General Manager Arun Kumar Jain and others.
Dr. Soundararajan explained the initiatives of the Central government for Telangana like the Vande Bharat trains and redevelopment of stations. Mr. Vikramarka said the government is ready to cooperate in railway projects development as it integrates distant places of the nation.
Mr. Laxman said the Centre has taken a historical decision to provide modern facilities at 554 railway stations across the nation and the focus is to improve railways, roadways and airways for the progress of the nation,
SCR General Manager said six stations in Maharashtra and two in Karnataka are also being redeveloped with the entire cost of various works coming to ₹1,800 crore, including stations modernisation costing ₹925 crore and road over/under bridges about ₹927 crore. The Rail projects being taken up are a testament to the rapid transformation under way in Indian Railways and symbolize the rapid progress being made on infrastructure development, connectivity and the commitment to serve the nation and its people.
The Begumpet station is among those stations being taken up for development under the “Amrit Station Scheme” at ₹22.57 crore with a modern facade, circulating area, waiting halls, etc. Similar programmes were also held in stations like Peddapalli, being modernised at about ₹26.49 crore, in the presence of nodal officer Senior Divisional Operations Manager T. Mani Kumar, local MLA Ch. Vijaya Ramana Rao and others. This station would have new lifts, footpaths, waiting halls and so on. DRM-Secunderabad Bartesh Kumar Jain and others were present, said a press release.