CM gives signal for Kotipalli-Narsapur rail line

AMALAPURAM: The long pending rail line between Kotipalli and Narsapur will be a reality soon with the assurance of chief minister Nallari Kiran Kumar Reddy that the state government would release Rs 50 crore immediately towards its share for execution of the project.Former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy who promised to sanction Rs 25 crore for the rail line project, failed to release the sum.  The Kotipalli-Narsapur rail line is a decade-old demand of people of Konaseema. The cost of the rail line has escalated from Rs 720 crore to Rs 1,050 crore due to undue delay in execution of the project.The state government which allocated Rs 19 crore for the rail line in the last budget, failed to release the amount.Amalapuram MP GV Harsha Kumar who made a representation to the chief minister, underlined the need to lay the rail line for the prosperity of Konaseema region.  The chief minister readily responded to his plea and promised to release `50 crore for the rail line.The then Union railway minister Mamata Banerjee laid the foundation stone for the rail line at Amalapuram on November 16, 2000 following the initiative of former Lok Sabha speaker GMC Balayogi who represented the constituency. But she did not allocate funds in the railway budget for the project execution.Harsha Kumar who was elected to the Lok Sabha from Amalapuram constituency in 2004 and 2009, did not succeed in his efforts to get funds allocated for the rail line in the budget.  The state government acquired 80 acres of land for the 60 km rail line between Kotipalli and Narsapur. Two bridges between Kotipalli and Mukteswaram and between Sakhinetipalli and Narsapur on Godavari river need to be constructed as part of the rail line project. The South Central Railway had already identified places for construction of railway stations.If the rail line was laid, agriculture produce worth Rs 6,000 crore can be exported from Konaseema per annum. It can also be used as an alternative route to the main line between Chennai and Kolkata.According to Harsha Kumar, tenders will be invited for the rail line project soon. Steps will also be taken to complete the rail line at the earliest, the MP said.