New Delhi: Appreciating Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for taking steps to improve railway connectivity in Odisha, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) demanded Tuesday the establishment of new Railway Division in Jajpur road.
While speaking on the ‘Demands for Grants’ under the control of Ministry of Railway for 2022-23 in the Lok Sabha, BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab said that Odisha’s rail tracks are divided into three zones. He also said that Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has been writing repeatedly to the Prime Minister that Jharsuguda and Raygada should be declared as Divisions.
“We need another Division in Jajpur Road because, now, the activity of that area has increased exponentially. Today, I would say that those that were historically denied to Odisha need to be corrected,” Mahtab said.
The BJD MP also requested the Vaishnaw to extend the Cuttack-Delhi passenger train up to Amritsar as it would help pilgrims from the Sikh community. “They regularly travel to Amritsar so a through train would be beneficial for them,” Mahtab stated.
Mahtab also demanded the setting up of a turn-around facility at the Cuttack railway station so that any train can start from Cuttack. He also requested the minister to construct a bridge for the third railway line which comes from Howrah and goes towards Bhubaneswar.
The BJD MP lauded the Railway Minister for strengthening the railway network in Odisha. “Many times, I always wondered whether a train line from Balasore to Nilgiri Road will ever be set up. But the day when he (the minister) travelled along with the local MP to Nilgiri Road, then I became aware that things are feasible, things are achievable under his leadership. He also went to the southern part of our State which has been totally neglected for the last so many years. Out of 30 districts of Odisha, still more than six districts are yet to see railway tracks. I hope that all those six districts will also be covered in future projects,” Mahtab said.
