Efforts are going on to begin South Coast Railway Zone operations with Visakhapatnam as its headquarters from April 1, without waiting for the completion of zonal office buildings. Only last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation for these buildings on January 8th and a month later on February 7th, the union cabinet gave formal approval.
Officials, who have identified alternate accommodation for the time being, are worried that waiting for the completion of new buildings may hamper the very purpose of creating a new railway zone. Already, they pointed out it was delayed for a decade after bifurcation of the state.
It may take at least two to three years for the construction of new buildings to be completed. Locals and experts say that there is no need to wait till then. If the zone operations are started immediately from April 1 in the temporary offices, the dream of the Visakhapatnam zone will be realized.
Officials are suggesting that accordingly, the Union Ministers and coalition MPs from the state should appeal to the Center. If necessary, pressure should be brought. In the past, they recalled that when the East Coast Railway Zone with its headquarters in Bhubaneswar came into being in 2003, it did not wait until permanent buildings were ready.
Temporary zone offices were set up in the available railway quarters, other buildings, and buildings belonging to the State Housing Board Colony and operations began. The duties were performed in these until the zone’s own offices were ready (four to five years).
The same happened in the case of the South Central Railway Zone with its headquarters in Secunderabad. Operations were initially started in temporary buildings in 1966. By 1972, the zone’s own buildings were available. The same thing happened when the Guntur Division was formed.
Temporary DRM offices and other departments were set up in the retiring rooms on the upper floor of the first platform of the Guntur Railway Station and in the RPF barracks on the seventh platform and operations began. After a few years, their own buildings were ready.
The existing DRM office in Visakhapatnam is available for use as a zonal office. There is 11,536 sq.m. of area available there. A new office building of 2,872 sq.m. is ready near the DRM office. Another building of 3,000 sq.m. belonging to the training school can be used. Also, the old Railway Nilayam building near the DRM bungalow is available.
Rest houses opposite the railway stadium and on the beach road, many buildings near the DRM office are vacant in Gnanapuram and Thatichetlapalem. Some other state government buildings are also said to be available for immediate usage.