Andhra MPs to air their grievances to PM on railway budget

New Delhi: Cutting across party lines, MP's from Andhra Pradesh are meeting prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh after the Union Budget presenatation to seek his intervention on the "injustice" meted out to the state in the rail budget.

The aggrieved MPs have demanded the introduction of new trains between Vijayawada-Chennai, Hyderabad-Kurnool, Vijayawada-Bellary, Narsapur-Tirupati, Dornakal-Shirdi and want the routes of the Tirumala Express to be extended from Vijayawada to Palasa and of the Secunderabad-Kurnool train to be extended upto Kadapa.

Twenty seven MPs, including union ministers Jaipal Reddy, D Purandeswari and Panabaka Lakshmi, representing various parties, held a meeting at the Andhra Pradesh Bhawan in New Delhi and alleged that the railway budget did not do "justice" to the state.

Rajya Sabha MP and PCC chief K Kesava Rao said it is "a matter of shame" to see that "injustice" is done to the state that has 60 MPs.

Opposition TDP MPs wanted the ruling Congress to exert more pressure on the government.

The Andhra Pradesh Assembly yesterday passed a resolution expressing concern over the state being denied its "due" and urged the centre to "re-examine and allocate" adequate funds for various projects in the state.