Vijay Sai Reddy’s Question Corners YCP!

Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday gave an unexpected shock to YSRCP MP Vijay Sai Reddy and TDP Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar in the Rajya Sabha. In a written response to the AP MPs’ query, the BJP minister said that the proposed railway works worth over Rs 10,200 crore spread across 841 kilometres have been stalled due to the non-deposition of the state’s share of funds worth Rs 1,636.34 crore.

Piyush Goyal said that the AP government has also not completed the land acquisition process for the proposed railway works in the state, causing a delay in the completion of the Kadapa-Madagatta railway line, Kadapa-Bangalore railway line and the Kadapa-Pendlimarri railway line.

The minister further mentioned that the railway ministry has spent Rs 351 crore out of the allotted Rs 3,038 crore for the projects until March, 2020. He reiterated the 2006 agreement where the AP government had assured to bear 50 percent expenses to complete the projects. However, the Andhra government has deposited only Rs 132.39 crore till date, the minister said, also stating that the pending works will resume only after the AP government clears the dues.

Piyush Goyal also said that as many as 32 railway projects worth Rs 64,429 crore spread across 5,704 kilometres in AP are in different stages of development. Out of the total projects, 336 km length of works have been commissioned at a cost of Rs 10,455 crore until March, 2020.