BJP Rajya Sabha member G.V.L. Narasimha Rao on Sunday demanded that the State government must immediately release 25% of the grant pledged by it for completion of the Kotipalli-Narsapur railway line in the Godavari region of coastal Andhra Pradesh.
The construction and execution of the ₹2120-crore project on the Godavari have said to be delayed due to fund crunch. However, half of the work has been completed by 2021.
In a talk on budget allocation to Andhra Pradesh here on Sunday, Mr. Narasimha Rao said that the Kotipalli-Narsapur railway link work was delayed due to lack of financial support from the State government.
“The Andhra Pradesh government is supposed to grant ₹358 crore for the railway project. However, it has barely released ₹2 crore till date. The Central government should not be blamed for the delay of the project,” said Mr. Narasimha Rao.
Alleging that the YSRCP government lacked commitment to claiming the Central grant, Mr. Narasimha Rao advised that ₹3,200 crore should be claimed by the March-end by speeding up the works under the 'Nal Se Jal' scheme that guarantees the safe drinking water to each household.
