CPI protests in Visakhapatnam seeking retention of KK line under city division

The Communist Party of India (CPI) staged a protest in front of the main entrance of Visakhapatnam Railway Station on Thursday, demanding that the Kothavalasa–Kirandul (KK) line be retained under the Visakhapatnam Railway Division.

Railway Zone Sadhana Samithi member and CPI State Committee member M. Paidiraaju, along with CPI district secretary S.K. Rehman, alleged that obstacles were being created in the development of the South Coast Railway Zone, which was formed with Visakhapatnam as its headquarters after a prolonged struggle.

Addressing the gathering, they criticised the State leadership for failing to safeguard Andhra Pradesh’s interests, despite being a key partner in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre. They maintained that the Visakhapatnam railway zone was a long-standing public demand and an assurance under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act.

The CPI leaders expressed concern that the zone headquarters was being finalised without the KK line, which they said was among the highest revenue-generating routes. They alleged that the Centre was prioritising Odisha’s interests in railway projects and claimed that the KK line, including the Araku Valley tourist circuit, was being proposed to be included in a new division with Rayagada in Odisha as its headquarters, under the East Coast Railway Zone headquartered in Bhubaneswar.

Stating that such a move would adversely affect the revenue potential of the Visakhapatnam division, the CPI demanded that MPs from North Andhra and the State government exert pressure on the Centre to retain the KK line under Visakhapatnam, particularly in the upcoming Union Budget.