A delegation from the South Coast Railway Mazdoor Union, led by DRUCC Member Chalasani Gandhi and General Secretary Ch. Sankara Rao, met Visakhapatnam MP M. Sribharat and submitted a memorandum urging swift action on the long-pending operationalisation of the South Coast Railway (SCoR) Zone.
The union noted that although the SCoR was sanctioned in 2019 under the A.P. Reorganisation Act, a formal Gazette Notification is still awaited, delaying the full-fledged functioning of the zone headquartered in Visakhapatnam.
Despite the Cabinet’s approval in February 2019 and submission of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) by August that year, no significant progress has followed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the zonal headquarters on January 8, 2025. While a General Manager was appointed on June 5, 2025, the post remains ineffective due to the absence of administrative powers, as the Gazette Notification is still pending. The constituent divisions — Vijayawada, Guntakal, Guntur, and Waltair (to be bifurcated into Rayagada and Visakhapatnam) — continue under their previous zones. The union pointed out that other zones like ECoR, NCR, SECR, and SWR began operations soon after their formation via Gazette Notifications, even without permanent infrastructure. The leaders urged Mr. Sribharat to press the Prime Minister, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, and other top officials to ensure the Gazette Notification is issued by August 15, 2025. Mr. Sribharat assured them that he would take up the issue with the concerned ministries in Delhi.
Published – July 15, 2025 11:42 pm IST
