By IANS,
Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy Friday welcomed the railway budget and thanked the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government for sanctioning new trains and projects for the state.
The chief minister described it as a “common man’s welfare budget”.
According to a statement from the chief minister’s office, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced strengthening of the suburban system of Hyderabad-Secunderabad by implementing six projects.
The minister has announced Secunderabad-Visakhapatnam AC Duronto (tri-weekly) and Shatabdi Express (Pune-Secunderabad)
The budget also proposes eight new express trains including Tirupati-Amravati Express, Visakhapatnam-Koraput Intercity Express, Howrah-Secunderabad Express, Hyderabad- Darbhanga Express, Howrah-Tirupati Express, Narsapur-Nagarsol Express, Digha-Visakhapatnam Express and Howrah-Visakhapatnam Express.
The railway minister announced eight new passenger services for the state, extension of three trains and increase in frequency of Secunderabad-Bikaner Express from weekly to bi-weekly.
Two new lines and doubling of three lines were also sanctioned. The budget also sanctioned survey of two lines for doubling.
However, Leader of Opposition in Andhra Pradesh assembly N. Chandrababu Naidu said the railway budget was disappointing.
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief alleged that a raw deal was meted out to the state though 32 of the MPs from the state belong to ruling Congress party.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former union minister of state for railways Bandaru Dattatreya termed it a railway budget for West Bengal. He said the minister ignored several demands from the state.