'SANCTION K'BANJI-N'RANGPUR, RAIPUR-JUNAGARH RAIL LINES' Tuesday, 24 January 2017 | PNS | BHUBANESWAR | in Bhubaneswar 1 2

'SANCTION K'BANJI-N'RANGPUR, RAIPUR-JUNAGARH RAIL LINES'

Tuesday, 24 January 2017 | PNS | BHUBANESWAR | in Bhubaneswar

1

2

3

4

5

0

Non-resident Odia (NRO) Professor Digambara Patra has urged for sanction Kantabanji-Koksara-Nabarangpur and Raipur-Rajim-Junagarh railway lines and survey for Lanjigarh road-Brahmapur railway line in the coming Budget.

He has written a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu in this regard.  He said Kantabanji-Jeypore railway line via Khariar, Dharamgarh and Koksara has been a long pending demand since past 50 years. After continuous demand, the Railway Ministry had proposed to survey this line more than a decade ago during pervious NDA Government keeping connectivity of backward KBK, especially Balangir, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Nabrangpur and Koraput in mind.

Importantly, Kantabanji - Jeypore railway line will connect Balangir, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur and Koraput districts to boost economy and communication in the local level while connecting interior part of these districts with Raipur, Bhilai, Nagpur, Sambalpur, Rourkela, Visakhapatnam and Kolkata. Despite the slow progress of the project, the State Government has not taken any proactive initiative to fulfil the long standing local demand. There is a persistent and growing demand from people of Khariar, Sinapali, Golamunda, Dharamgarh and Koksara region to immediately implement the project. Many protest letters and memorandum have been submitted in this matter to both the State Government and the Railway Minister since past decade. Unfortunately, the Odisha Government has failed to take note and seriously write to the Railway Minister for specifically implementing the project.

Similarly, Raipur-Rajim -Dharamgarh-Junagarh railway line is under survey. The route by extending to Lanjigarh road-Brahmapur will make access to South East Asian countries, Raipur, Bhilai, Nagpur and central India via the Gopalpur port.

This will further reduce distance between Gopalpur port and Nagpur and make Gopalpur port as competitive as Mumbai port from Nagpur or central India region to access East Asia market. At the same time, it will bring railway infrastructure to the Maoist and tribal dominated region and connect Ganjam/Brahmapur, Kandhamal, Kalahandi and Gariaband and Raipur districts with Raipur and Nagpur. This will also establish a direct connection between Raipur and Talcher along with Talcher-Lanjigarh road proposed route. Survey work of Raipur - Rajim -Debhog - Junagarh is almost complete and this route should be approved immediately.

Sadly, both the State Government and the Railway Ministry have forgotten and not taken proactive step for immediate approval and completion of these two projects. This is well reflected in the recent letter by Odisha Chief Minister to the Railway Minister as there is no mention about the above two projects. Similarly, there is no proposal to survey Lanjigarh road-Brahmapur railway line in this letter although this letter comprehensively mentions lots of projects in other parts of Odisha, he added.