Centre okays Rs 23.62 bn for ongoing railway projects in Andhra Pradesh

The ongoing projects under South Central Railway (SCR) in Andhra Pradesh has reportedly received fund allocation from the Centre. The Centre has sanctioned Rs 59.24 billion for SCR this year. Nearly Rs 23.62 billion, of the sanctioned Rs 59.24 billion, is expected to be spent on the railway development in Andhra Pradesh. However, reports suggest that the government has allocated Rs 13.08 billion less funds in SCR this year, as compared to the 2018-19 budget. In the previous year, the government has sanctioned Rs 36.70 billion for infrastructural development of Andhra Pradesh. The fund approved for Kazipet-Vijayawada third line has been increased from Rs 600 million last year to Rs 1.1 billion in the interim budget. Also, the Vijayawada-Gudur third line managed to gain Rs 3.5 billion, which is Rs 1 billion more than last year’s allocation. Also, the allocation for construction of bypass lines at Vijayawada, Kazipet, Reningunta, Wadi and Gooti also surged from a mere Rs 310 million in the 2018-19 budget to Rs 1.43 billion in the interim one. The SCR has reportedly received Rs 40 billion less than the last year for the development of Tiruchanur station, while the Centre has increased the allocation to the development of a second entry at Tirupati railway station by Rs 45 million. From Rs 2 billion which was granted last year, the allotment of funds for the Vijayawada-Bhimavaram-Nidadabvolu doubling and electrification works has fallen to Rs 1.75 billion. On the same line, the Guntakal-Kalluru doubling project had received Rs 765.2 million last year, while it received Rs 150 million this year. The highest allocation for railways in Andhra Pradesh is reportedly Rs 7 billion pertaining to the current Nadikudi-Srikalahasti new line project, which was taken up in the 2011-12 fiscal at an estimated cost of Rs 24.50 billion. The state government is expected to share half of the project cost.