Raw deal for AP in Rly Budget: YSR Cong

Describing the Railway Budget 2012-13 as disappointing and has chugged the appeasing track, YSR Congress Party on Wednesday said the Andhra Pradesh has got a raw deal and the Congress MPs failed in representing the interests of the State. 

The hike in train fare and freight will burden the common man and people should know why the Indian Railways, which has been making profits till recently suddenly went in to the red, party spokesperson, Vasireddy Padma told reporters here. 

"The big contingent of MPs from the State, which forms the backbone of the UPA-II, failed in their duty as they could not get more trains and allocation of funds to the existing projects while Tamil Nadu, Karnataka in south and Gujarat, going to polls soon, could get lion’s share in the budget," she said.

Padma said that while YSR was the Chief Minister, he took initiative and inspired the MPs to put forth the demands well in advance and followed it up with the Railways Ministry to get adequate allotments while that practice was given a go by. The TDP, which held a prominent role in the NDA and United Front governments too failed to bring in more benefits to the State earlier, she said.

Budging to coalition pressure, the Railway Budget went on an appeasing track, she said while Congress MPs from the State failed to raise to occasion, the Party leader and Kadapa MP, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had given representation highlighting the needs well in advance.

Though the Kakinada-Visakhapatanm coastal corridor with the State partnership was announced, budget allocations were not made. Same is the case with laying tracks between Kakinada-Pittapuram, Medak-Akkannapeta, Bhadrachalam-Kovvur, she said. 

There was no mention of Khazipet Coach Factory or the Visakhaptnam Railway Special Zone, she said adding that most of what the State could get is only extension of trains and not new lines.

Our state needs at least 20 new trains to ease the heavy traffic from Secunderabad to Viskahapatanam, Chennai and Tirupati and from Viskahaptanam to Tirupati, she said. Though the reservation time is advanced by four months still there is lot of waiting list which shows the patronage of Railways, she added.