Bhubaneswar: Members and leaders of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) opposed Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha’s visit to the state and were seen protesting outside the rail auditorium where the foundation stone laying of the escalator at Bhubaneswar was organised. They shouted slogans protesting bifurcation of Waltair division of ECoR, ahead of Sinha’s programme at Railway auditorium.
BJD’s general secretary Sanjay Das Burma said that the new establishment of South Coast Railway (SCoR) would be carved out from the East Coast Railway (ECoR) and that would ruin the railway network in the state due to the transfer of major assets there. Meanwhile, Manoj Sinha claimed that not even an inch of railway lines in Odisha has been given to any other division.
BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra said, “Northern and western Odisha have been providing iron ore and other minerals and generate huge revenue. However, both these areas are under the Bilaspur Zone of the South Central Railway (SCR) and the Chakradharpur Zone of the South Eastern Railway (SER).”
BJD has alleged that ECoR will lose loco sheds and wagon maintenance facilities, which would go to SCoR zone under Visakhapatnam after the bifurcation. According to reports, the formation of SCoR will lead to The Waltair division (currently with ECoR) to be split into two parts. One part will be incorporated in the new zone and merged with the neighbouring Vijaywada division, while the remaining portion will be converted into a new division with headquarters at Rayagada under the ECoR.