Union Minister for Tourism, Culture and Northeast States Development G. Kishan Reddy has once again urged Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar to take the initiative, release pending funds and do the necessary land allocation to complete the pending and ongoing railway works across Telangana.
In a letter to the Chief Minister, a copy of which was released to the media here on Monday, the Union Minister claimed that ever since Narendra Modi took over as the Prime Minister the allocations has been increased by seven times.
Funds to the tune of ₹2,420 crore was allocated in 2021-22 as against ₹250 crore in 2014-15. Railway network was enhanced from 194 route km to 356 km, he explained.
Mr. Reddy, also the Secunderabad MP, pointed out that the TRS party leaders have been claiming injustice to TS in terms of funds allotment and railway works when fact is there is a need to provide assured funding as per the accepted quota from the government side as well as land allocation to expedite the cleared projects.
These include: Manoharabad-Kothapally 150 km where ₹100 crore is pending and 342 hectares of land allotment as per 1/3 cost sharing ratio; Akkannapet-Medak 17.20 km where if the remining ₹32 crore is released, the works can be completed in six months as per 50% cost sharing pact.
MMTS Phase II: Original cost got hiked to ₹1,150 crore up from ₹816.55 of which railways had spent ₹835 crore whereas the TS government has released ₹129 crore and another ₹760 crore remains to be paid under the 2/3rd cost sharing pact.
MMTS Phase II extension up to Yadadri for 33 km seeking to provide a rail link to the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple was cleared by Railway Board under 2/3 cost sharing ratio but remains a non-starter with the government not releasing funds.
Bhadrachalam-Sattupalli 53.2 km was supposed to be over in July last year but got delayed to due land acquisition and road over bridge works; Kazipet-Balarshah third line work will get completed in 2024-25 due to delays in land acquisition at Peddapalli (six hectares), Karimnagar (4 acres) and Mancherial.
Kazipet-Vijaywada third line 219.64 km too is getting delayed as 35.9 hectares in Warangal rural, 43.48 acres in Khammam and 14.39 acres in Mahabubabad districts is yet to be handed over.
Similarly, bypass line between Kazipet and Hasanparthi road station needs 7.8 hectares of land for completion though railways had paid compensation in 2018; Muneerabad-Mahabubnagar new line of which 66 km is in TS and 40 km has been done and rest of the work has been stuck due to delay in land acquisition.
The Minister also listed the following projects held up pending TS government’s approval for cost-sharing. These are: Manuguru to Ramagundam and Kondapalli to Kothagudem — earlier approved by united A.P. government; new lines from Krishna in Mahabubnagar district to Vikarabad, Karimnagar to Hasanparthi and Bodhan to Latur where surveys were done.
Cherlapally new railway terminal needs proper approach roads on both sides and the government has been requested to expedite them. Another 54 road-over-bridges have been held up either at the design stage, alignments or approvals due to lack of cooperation from the government officials concerned, he charged.
