BJP leader accuses Lalu of 'pro-Bihar' bias

Hyderabad, Oct 13 (UNI) Alleging 'total neglect' of the South Central Railway by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government, BJP National Secretary and Former Union Minister of State for Railways Bandaru Dattatreya today said bias towards Bihar at the cost of other railway zones must be dispensed with.

In an open letter to the Railway Minister, a copy of which was released to the press here, he alleged that 'budget allocations were predominantly ''pro-Bihar'' at the cost of the rest of the country'.

Mr Dattatreya said ''I am fully aware of the fact that the SCR is one of the profit-making Zones of Indian Railways. It has embarked on so many projects progressing at snail's pace for lack of budgetary support.'' On the eve of Mr Lalu Prasad's maiden visit, he demanded generous allocations for the Hyderabad city MMTS project and for Jaggayyapet-Vishnupuram, Bhadrachalam-Kovvuru and Manoharabad-Gajwell-Siddipet-Sircilla-Jagital, Kadapa-Bangalore lines, apart from doubling and electricfivication of the Krishna Canal-Tenali line.

Pressing for modernisation of the railway station in the temple town of Tirupati, and esclators at Secunderabad, Hyderabad, Kachiguda and Tirupati, he demanded creation of a New Zone with Port cty of Visakhapatnam as headquarters.

He also asked for running new trains from Secunderabad to New Delhi, Bikaner, Bangalore and between Tirupati and Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad and Madurai to be introduced.

Andhra Pradesh, particularly the Telangana region required new lines between Manohorabad and Kothapalli, Peddapalli and Nizamabad, Nandyal and Yerraguntla and Secunderabad and Bodhan, he emphasised, lamenting that SCR had not not been allocating in proportion to revenue generation of Rs 3,324 crore against the target of Rs 3,158 crore last year.

''During the last financial year it has got an allocation of Rs 300 crore against requirement of Rs 550 crore'', he added.

UNI SM KVV YA ND2042