Congress never wanted special railway zone in AP: Goyal

Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said the Congress never wanted to create a special railway zone in Andhra Pradesh.

Goyal said this in a press conference when he was asked about the government's stand on the special railway zone in Vishakhapatnam.

"As per the AP Reorganisation Act, then ruling Congress party had not provided for the establishment of a zone. What it had only written was that the government will examine the feasibility of setting up a zone with its headquarters in Visakhapatnam," Goyal said.

The Union Minister said he wanted to remind people of Andhra Pradesh that the Congress never promised to create a railway zone in their state.

"Certain Congress leaders are politicising the issue. They are trying to make a virtue out of their own fallacy. If they (Congress) genuinely wanted to create a zone then they should have provided in the AP Reorganisation Act," Goyal said.

He blamed the Congress for not creating the special railway zone when it was in power.

"I squarely blame the Congress party for not having created a railway zone when they were in the government, or not even having provided in the AP Reorganising Act that a railway zone shall be created ," the Union Railway Minister said.

He, however, added that the matter is under the consideration of the Railway Ministry.

"The matter is under examination and an appropriate decision will be taken after considering all operational, technical, and financial implications of creating such a zone as per the norms of the railways," Goyal said.

Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president N Raghuveera Reddy said last month that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government led by the Congress party had promised as many as 12 Central government projects, including railway zone for Visakhapatnam, steel plant in Kadapa, construction of Dugarajapatnam Port and special package for development of the backward districts in Rayalaseema and north Andhra.