The Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA government at the Centre seems to be playing a hide and seek game with Andhra Pradesh with regard to setting up of a railway zone at Visakhpatnam and also a steel plant at Kadapa.
Even as the BJP state leaders have been claiming that the Centre would soon announce the railway zone at Vizag, Union railway minister Piyush Goel dampened their spirits by saying that the Centre was still examining the proposal and would see whether it was feasible or not.
“Those who have been criticising us for not granting railway zone to Visakhapatnam should first read what is there in the AP Reorganisation Act. It clearly says the Centre would examine the feasibility of setting up the railway zone. I told Parliament that we are examining the feasibility. And we are still examining it even now,” he said.
Goel’s statement clearly shows that the Centre has no intentions to grant the railway zone. It does not make sense to say that even after four years, the Centre is examining the proposal.
Initially, the minister said in the Parliament that Odisha was raising an objection. But with Odisha also saying it had no objection if the new railway zone was confined to Vizag area, the Centre should not have any objection.
“But it appears the Centre wants to create troubles to the state by denying the zone on the pretext of economic feasibility. It is nothing but witch-hunting,” a Telugu Desam Party leader said.
