Telangana government sanctions Rs 40 crore for Kazipet wagon workshop

WARANGAL: In a major boost to the construction of proposed periodical wagon overhauling (POH) workshop at Kazipet, the State government on Saturday accorded administrative sanction of Rs 40 crore for acquiring land for the project.

The Centre has sanctioned the POH workshop at Kazipet in 2016-17 at a cost of Rs 269.78 crore. The project is likely to generate direct and indirect employment to more than 3,000 people.

Rail Vikas Nigam (RVNL) is the executing agency and it is waiting for the land to be handed over. As per the schedule, the construction is to be completed by March 2019.    The Centre had earlier allotted Rs 200 crore for the project.

The State government has agreed to allot 160 acres free of cost to the railways. It has identified the land near Madikonda belonging to Seetharamchandra Swamy Temple. However, farmers who had been cultivating the land got a stay from the court.

In February this year, the deputy chief minister K Srihari convinced the farmers to withdraw the case, which they did after the government assured them to provide compensation for land up to 70 pc  of the market price and employment for a member of the family. It is estimated that the government would need `112.13 crore to pay compensation to the farmers.