BHUBANESWAR:
Odisha Jana Sammukhya (OJS) would stage Rail Rok on January 9 demanding allocation
of more funds for the Khurda Road-Balangir rail line and completion of its work
within the stipulated time. “If the Government does not pay heed to their
demands, they would create economic blockade in April,” said convener of the
OJS Jatish Mohanty here at a party meeting on Saturday.
OJS chairman Ajey Rout said the
289 km long Khurda Road-Balangir rail line is the lifeline of communication
between western and eastern part of the State which was started since 1994-95 is
yet to be completed. The project would be carried out in five phases, while
first phase Khurda-Begunia (32 km) and second phase Begunia-Nayagarh (34 km) didn’t
meet its minimum target, he added.
Mohanty said the railway have
been consistently decreasing its budget from Rs 120 crore during the year of
2010-11 to Rs 40 crore in 2012-13. Even the railway has curtailed Rs 17 crore
in two installments from this project during the current budget session which was
very unfortunate, he lamented.
The cost of the project has been
increased from Rs 700 crore to Rs 1,000 crore, but the Centre’s mere Rs 40
crore allocation and then curtailment would not serve the purpose, said the
leaders of the OJS, adding, “The railway gets the highest benefit around Rs
7,200 crore from Odisha zone, but doesn’t pay attention towards the development
of important rail projects in the State.”
“Neither the Centre nor the State
Government gives importance to the project,” said Mohanty, adding, “The State
Government should impose pressure on the Centre by uniting people of the State
to fight against Centre’s injustice towards the State.”
Among others, OJS vice-chairmen
Harish Mohapatra, Pranakrushna Dalbehera, Laxman Bhoi, Hemant Mohapatra,
Bhaskar Mohanty, Bhaskar Jena, Gaurang Dalai, general secretary Manas Jena,
Prabir Mohanty, Govind Bhagban and Sheikh Abdul Wali were present.
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