While presenting the Railway Budget 2010-2011, the then railway minister Ms Mamata Banerjee proposed 55 new railway lines across the country, including one between Vizianag-aram and Palasa via Rajam in north coastal Andhra.

Almost two years have passed, but there has been no progress in the work till date. Rajam in Srikakulam district is the largest jute-producing town in the state and famous for steel industries. It has a population of nearly 50,000 as per the 2011 census and is a hub for education institutions and industries including many from the giant GMR Group.

When contacted, former MP and Telugu Desam politburo member Mr Kinjarapu Yerrannaidu from Srikakulam said, “The UPA government has completely failed to fulfil its promises by delaying works of the proposed railway line to Rajam, which was announced two years ago.”

Officials from the East Coast Railways maintain that tenders were already invited for carrying out a preliminary engineering survey for the proposed line in March 2011. It is learnt that locals also made numerous representations to MP Ms Botsa Jhansi and local MLA and minister for medical education and health Mr Kondru Murali to make necessary efforts for early completion of the project. Currently the nearest railway stations to Rajam are Sigadam and Cheepurupalli which are inaccessible by either superfast or even express trains between Secundera-bad and Bhubaneswar. Pe-ople have to go to Viziana-garam or Visakhapatnam to board superfast trains.

Speaking to this newspaper, Ms Botsa Jhansi said that she had written a letter to Chief Minister Mr N. Kiran Kumar Reddy and the Railway Minister to speed up the railway line works.

A railway committee from the Centre is arriving here to examine the works on February 22.

She hoped that the engineering survey works at a cost of Rs.45 lakh would be completed by this June end.

Efforts were being made to establish a locomotive shed at Vizianagaram railway station, she said.