Visakhapatnam Member of Parliament M. Sribharat on Friday said that the establishment of the South Coast Railway Zone (SCoR), headquartered in Visakhapatnam, was progressing rapidly and accused the Opposition parties of criticising the process without understanding the administrative and technical complexities involved.

Addressing media persons on the recent issuance of the Gazette notification for the new railway zone and the retention of the Waltair Division as the renamed Visakhapatnam Division, Mr. Sribharat said the development had fulfilled a long-pending aspiration of the people of north Andhra.

Mr. Sribharat alleged that no progress had been made during the previous YSRCP government despite repeated requests from the Centre for land allocation. “Even when the Central government asked them to hand over the land so that the zone could be established, there was no seriousness from their side, and nothing moved forward,” he said.

Explaining the delay in issuing the Gazette notification, the MP said Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had informed him that the bifurcation of railway zones was a highly technical process involving railway controls, safety systems, communication networks and operational handovers. “If the process is not handled carefully, it could create problems for the public in future,” he said.

He said that the Centre had followed a phased process by appointing the general manager, principal heads of departments and inviting applications for transfers and appointments before formally operationalising the zone. Full-fledged operations would commence from June 1, he added.

Mr. Sribharat said that Andhra Pradesh had received ₹1.06 lakh crore in allocations and project support during the tenure of the NDA government. Though the railways did not generate direct revenue, the Centre was continuing to allocate substantial funds for infrastructure development, he added. He said ₹10,000 crore was being spent on laying four railway lines between Rajahmundry and Visakhapatnam.

Speaking about the city’s future growth prospects, Mr. Sribharat said projects such as the Bhogapuram airport and the Google data centre were expected to attract international investments and create a major economic ecosystem in the region. He also expressed confidence that water from the Polavaram project would reach Visakhapatnam by 2028, ensuring that the city would not face water scarcity in the future.

BJP Visakhapatnam president MMN Parasurama Raju said the BJP had consistently pursued the railway zone demand since it was first raised in Parliament during the UPA regime. He said 52 acres had been allotted near Mudasarlova for the railway zone, and construction of the zonal office was progressing swiftly. He added that development works were underway at 87 railway stations in the State.

Jana Sena leader Siva said Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan had played a key role in the efforts towards securing the railway zone. TDP leader Byreddi Pothana Reddy was also present.