Kakinada is just about 15 km from Howrah-Chennai Main line and is connected by a branch line - Samalkot-Kakinada. Kakinada is the administrative headquarters of East Godavari District. It is traditionally known for the well laid out town planning and educational institutions. There has been a demand from local population fore bringing it on the mainline so that important trains like Coromandal Express and Howrah Mail can stop there. This aspiration is nearly 40-50 years old. A few years back, I think when Mamta Banerjee was the Railway Minister, after due approval of survey, technical feasibility, viability, etc. the project has finally been sanctioned by the Railway Ministry. However, in successive Railway budgets, only token allocations of a few lakh rupees are being made. Cost is escalating. All that is required is to connect Pithapuram with Kakinada barely 20 kms I think. With a surplus of about 20000 crores, what problems Railways are facing in taking up the actual construction is not known. People of East Godavari are generally polite and docile. We have a wonderful technocrat politician Sri Pallam Raju as Kakinada MP and a union Minister. His family has served Kakinada with distinction. I hope he will do his bit in getting this project executed.
Kakinada is emerging as a major industrial/knowledge hub. A SEZ is on the anvil. A shipyard, two refineries are supposed to come up. Gas has been discovered at massive levels. A STPI has started functioning. It will be a favoured destination for IT/ITeS companies. There are about 9 engineering colleges, a medical college and a host of other educational institutions in Kakinada itself.
I would request the leading citizens of East Godavari like Sri Pallam Raju, Sri Jakkampudi Ram Mohan Rao, Sri Undavilli Arun Kumar, Sri Harsha Kumar, Sri Yanamala Ramakrushnudu, Sri Mudragada Padmanabham, Sri Pantham, Sri Jyotula, Sri Pendem Dora Babu etc to lend their influence and prevail upon the Railways to commence and complete this small project early fulfilling the legitimate needs of the travelling public and the long pending aspirations of the people of this region.
3 comments:
This is good, insightful stuff. thank you and keep writing.
Have a couple of people who are really really interested and will get back to you very soon
cheers
masood
Hi,
This is Kishore. I am a PhD student in CS, but I love "Telugu", our villages, our food, whatnot everything.
I am very much impressed the way you narrated "Kakinada Pithapuram...". Many many Thanks for sharing your views, experience and so on with youngsters (becoming old :-), 27years) like me. I would like to request one thing: I am curious to know the beauty of AP villages and small towns in your childhood days. It would become an interesting story if you share your childhood days with us.
Thanks.
Best,
Kishore
http://www.cs.ucr.edu/~kishore
This is an article that lends good insight.
I guess thisis one article with less to ponder and a huge need to act.
Keep it coming
Navin
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