Rail Roko held protesting delay in Khurda-B’ngir rail project

BHUBANESWAR: Members of the joint action committee formed for the Khurda Road- Balangir rail line staged ‘Rail Roko’ on Thursday at several places in the State including Khurda Road, Balangir and Redhakhol demanding allocation of more funds for the speedy completion of the much-awaited rail project.

Hundreds of supporters of the action committee began demonstration at the Khurda road and Bhubaneswar railway station and put to halt East Coast Railway services by sitting on the rail track. Several expresses and super fast express trains did wait for hours to leave the station. Similarly, the Balangir Nagarika Committee staged demonstration at Balangir railway station.     

Kandhamal MP Rudra Madhab Ray, the joint convener of the committee, said the construction of the 289-km long Khurda Road-Balangir rail line was started from 1994-95 but is yet to be completed. The project would be carried out in five phases, while the first phase, Khurda-Begunia (32 km), and the second phase, Begunia-Nayagarh (34 km), did not meet their minimum targets of construction, he added.

Committee members said the Railways has been consistently reducing its budget from Rs 120 crore during the year of 2010-11 to Rs 40 crore in 2012-13. Even, Rs 17 crore has been curtailed in two instalments from this project during the current Budget session, they lamented.

Another member of the action committee and former MP Sibaji Patnaik said the committee would demand an allocation of Rs 400 crore for the project in the coming railway budget. The Railways gets the highest benefit around Rs 7,200 crore from its Odisha zone but doesn’t pay attention towards important rail projects in the State, he added.