AP CS reviews Railway projects, Cement industries

Hyderabad, Aug 13 (INN): Chief Secretary I.Y.R. Krishna Rao convened a meeting with the Officials of Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), New Delhi to review on the progress of Railway Projects and Cement Industries in Andhra Pradesh.

Regarding Sanjanamala to Kolimigundla Railway siding for a distance of 40 KMs, the Chief Secretary informed that as it is there are three licenses given there for a total capacity of 10.5 Million Tonnes of cement production with a consumption of 1000 Million Tonnes of Limestone whereas the remaining total estimated limestone available there is 3000 Million Tonnes and it is now propose to issue licenses to other entities also under the new mining policy. Hence, participation of the manufacturers as part of the SPV will not be a problem and it is prima facie concentrated at one place which is one of the highest anywhere in the country. Keeping this in view RVNL Chairman Satish Agnihotri has been requested to expedite the proposal and get going at the earliest.

Even after the issue of licenses, these manufacturers are saying that still there are certain infrastructural constrains and it is one of the main reasons for not starting the factories. The RVNL Chairman has been requested to take action on this railway line at the earliest.

The issue of construction of a separate freight line was discussed by the Chief Secretary, as an alternative to a freight corridor on the railway site involving Government of Tamil Nadu, Odisha as well, it was decided that the Advisor Railways in the State Government of Andhra Pradesh, P.K. Srivastava, would be in touch with RVNL to work out the modalities of further going with it.

The 3rd freight line would be running between Tada - Ichapuram Railway Stations covering about 1000 KMs touching in between Nellore - Vijayawayda - Rajahmundry - Visakhapatnam. This has higher importance in view of the Port based economic strategy the State Government of A.P. is envisaging in terms of developing number of minor ports in the coastal area. Presently the traffic between Central India and Northern India is going to the West and then getting into the Country. Even that is coming from the South East Asia. Therefore the Development of other lines namely East Coast Line also would become viable by re-shifting the merchandize to the East Coast.

Already on the East Coast in Andhra Pradesh Visakhapatnam, Gangavaram, Kakinada, Krishnapatnam Ports are functioning. Further Ports are planned and are in the process of establishing at Machilipatnam, Bhavanapadu, Ramayapatnam, Dugarajupatnam, Vadarevu, Nizampatnam and Narasapuram, Chief Secretary added.

Present status of the Nadikudi ' Srikalahasthi Railway line, Doubling the railway lines between Guntur ' Guntakal, Guntur ' Tenali, Gudivada ' Nidadavolu were also reviewed.

The RVNL Chairman, Prl. Secretary Revenue J.C. Sharma, Chairman-Managing Director TRANSCO Vijayanand, Director Mines and Geology Susheel Kumar and others attended the meeting.