Hyderabad: BRS leaders B. Vinod Kumar and Aaruri Ramesh urged railway authorities to provide Kazipet railway project jobs to local youth and land-losing farmers during a meeting with South Central Railway officials on Monday.
The leaders met Sanjay Kumar Srivastava, General Manager of South Central Railway, and submitted a memorandum highlighting employment concerns related to railway projects in Kazipet. They requested the authorities to prioritise local candidates for available job opportunities.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, the BRS leaders said the demand for establishing a railway coach factory in Kazipet has existed for more than four decades. They noted that the Union government had announced a wagon factory for the region nearly 10 years ago. However, they said the project has not generated adequate employment for residents.
The leaders also pointed out that farmers had agreed to provide land for the project at concessional rates to facilitate its establishment. Despite this, they claimed that much of the work was currently being carried out by private contractors rather than local workers.
Kazipet railway project jobs sought for local youth
Vinod Kumar and Aaruri Ramesh said land-losing farmers and residents of the region should receive priority in employment opportunities linked to the project. They urged railway authorities to adopt a policy similar to the employment model implemented in the Latur district of Maharashtra.
According to the leaders, such a model would ensure that communities that contributed land for the project benefit from job opportunities created by the development.
They also stated that the Railway Board is expected to take a final decision on the proposal for establishing the Kazipet Railway Division. The leaders expressed hope that the decision would support regional development and create more employment opportunities in the area.