NELLORE: Nadikudi - Srikalahasti railway line, which is a boon for upland mandals, is going to be a reality soon as the South Central Railway (SCR) has been sanctioned a total of Rs 6,846 crore for 2020-21.
A new railway line between Nadikudi and Srikalahasti had been proposed with an outlay of Rs 1,314 crore as per estimates in 2010 for promoting cement and granite exports from the region. Majority of the upland areas in Nellore district will benefit from the new line as there is no rail connectivity to them till now. Also, the State government has come forward to provide land free of cost and bear 50 per cent of the cost of the proposed 308 km broad gauge railway line between Nadikudi and Srikalahasti.
People in the upland areas such as Udayagiri, Venkatagiri, Dakkili, Seetharamapuram, Rapur, Balayapalli, Kaluvoya, Chejarla, Atmakur, Vinjamur, Marripadu, Duttalur, Varikuntapadu mandals will benefit from the Nadikudi - Srikalahasti railway line. Meanwhile, the railway line will help reduce the cost of transportation for farmers, who export their produce to other parts of the State and country only by roadways.
Upland areas in the district harvest horticulture crops such as lemon, citrus, mango, guava, papaya, green and red chilli and tobacco. The total length of the railway line in the district will be around 150 km, according to sources. The new railway line will connect Srikalahasti, Venkatagiri, Rapur, Obulayapalli, Podili, Darsi, Gundlakamma, Vinukonda, Rompicherla, Nakerakal and Nadikudi. Even farmers of Kadapa district will benefit from this railway line. “The railway freight charges are less compared to the roadways. The new railway line will also reduce the distance between places in the region by 50 to 70 km. It will be helpful to the farmers for exporting and importing crops,” said V Subba Reddy, a farmer.