Andhra Pradesh Government Delays Land Allocation for New Railway Zone Project

The South Coastal Railway (ScoR) Zone project, announced in 2019 with headquarters planned in Vizag city, is facing delays as the Andhra Pradesh government has not yet identified and handed over the required land to the railways. Initiated by the BJP-led central government ahead of the 2019 general elections, the ScoR Zone project is currently on hold due to the land allocation issue.

Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnav acknowledged an unprecedented budget allocation for the railway sector in the interim budget for the financial year 2024-2025. Responding to inquiries about the progress and operationalization deadline of the ScoR Zone project, Vaishnav stated that the AP government is yet to allocate approximately 53 acres in Vizag city for establishing the headquarters of the new zone. Despite the approval of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and finalization of designs, the project's advancement is contingent on resolving the land allocation delay. The operationalization deadline will commence one day after the land allocation is completed, he added.

The AP government had previously indicated its intention to identify around 53 acres of land near Mudasarlova locality in Vizag city for the ScoR Zone project's headquarters. However, no progress has been made on this front.

Ashwini Vaishnav highlighted that Andhra Pradesh has received a notable outlay of Rs 9,178 crore for various rail infrastructure and safety projects. The budget allocation for AP in the financial year 2024-25 is ten times higher than the combined budget allocation for the state from 2009 to 2014, which amounted to Rs 886 crore.

ET