Mumbai, Oct. 8 -- The Andhra Pradesh government has issued administrative sanction for Rs. 1 bn towards the long-pending 57 km Kotipalli-Narsapuram railway line project. The decision is in line with the State's commitment to contribute 25 per cent of the total project cost and marks a fresh step in efforts to advance the rail link.
The project was initially estimated at Rs. 21.2 bn and received sanction in 2001 under a cost-sharing arrangement. Under that arrangement, the Government of Andhra Pradesh was required to fund 25 per cent of the cost, while the railway project remained pending for an extended period. The State's latest administrative decision therefore concerns its designated contribution under the agreed funding structure.
The latest sanction covers the State's allocation of Rs. 1 bn. It provides administrative approval for the amount rather than a revision of the project's original estimate, which was set when the line was first sanctioned. No revised overall project cost or completion date was provided in the announcement.
The foundation stone for the project was laid in Amalapuram by Mamata Banerjee, who was Railway Minister at the time. The proposed line is intended to connect the region through a 57 km rail route, but the available details do not specify a construction schedule or timeline for its completion.
Amalapuram MP Harish Balayogi said the sanction would help speed up the project. He has described the railway line as the brainchild of his father, G.M.C. Balayogi, who was the first Dalit Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Maagam, in Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district, is among the proposed stops on the route.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.