Amaravati, May 5 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister, Pawan Kalyan, on Tuesday hailed the gazette notification issued by the Centre for South Coast Railway Zone with its headquarters at Visakhapatnam.

“New Zone, New Speed, New Growth! A transformative step for Andhra Pradesh’s growth and connectivity,” the Jana Sena leader posted on ‘X’.

He expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Union Government under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for officially declaring in the Gazette of India the constitution of the South Coast Railway Zone with headquarters at Visakhapatnam, effective from June 1, 2026.

“This historic decision brings the Guntakal, Guntur and Vijayawada divisions of South Central Railway along with the restructured Waltair division, now renamed as Visakhapatnam division, under the new zone, significantly strengthening Andhra Pradesh’s railway network,” posted Pawan Kalyan.

“The creation of a new Rayagada division under East Coast Railway further enhances operational efficiency. This long-awaited step will accelerate regional development, improve connectivity and create new opportunities for the people of Andhra Pradesh,” he added.

The actor-politician thanked Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for his consistent efforts in achieving this for the state. He termed it a proud and progressive step forward for Andhra Pradesh.

Meanwhile, Telugu Desam Party’s state president Palla Srinivasa Rao hailed the gazette notification as a historic milestone for North Andhra.

He described it as the culmination of a decades-long struggle and the fulfilment of the collective aspirations of North Andhra.

He stated that the move effectively validates the perseverance of the region’s leadership and the dreams of its people.

Srinivasa Rao attributed the realisation of the zone to the “unrelenting pursuit and strategic foresight” of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. He emphasised that the Chief Minister had consistently leveraged his influence at the national level to ensure that the commitments made under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act were translated into reality.

“The echoes of the ‘Visakha Railway Zone is Andhra’s Right’ slogan, raised by TDP parliamentarians between 2014 and 2019, have finally found their destination,” Srinivasa Rao said. He further remarked that while the zone was initially announced in 2019, the project languished during the 2019-2024 period due to what he termed the “lackadaisical attitude” and “administrative inertia” of the previous regime, particularly regarding critical land acquisition.

The TDP leader highlighted that upon the NDA coalition assuming power in 2024, the process was placed on a “war footing.”

“Chief Minister Naidu’s immediate intervention with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Railway Ministry removed the long-standing bureaucratic bottlenecks. By resolving land acquisition issues expeditiously, the State paved the way for the Centre to allocate substantial funds and fast-track administrative clearances,” he stated.

The Gazette notification mandates that the South Coast Railway Zone — encompassing the Guntakal, Guntur, and Vijayawada divisions — will become fully operational from June 1.

–IANS

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