Titlagarh/Kesinga: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is set to inaugurate one of the longest railway over-bridges (ROBs) in the state at Hatapada level crossing near Titlagarh railway station at 5:30 pm, Friday.
While the CM will inaugurate the ROB through video conferencing, the event will be kicked-off by Works Minister Prafulla Kumar Mallick. Among others, Women and Child Development Minister Tukuni Sahu, Bolangir MP Sangeeta Kumari Singhdeo, chairman of Western Odisha Development Council Samit Kumar Tripathy, Bolangir district Collector Chanchala Rana and Sub-Collector Somesh Upadhyay are expected at the event.
The level crossing has earned the moniker ‘Sorrow of Titlgarh’. Thousands of people visit Titlagarh on a daily basis. Titlagarh railway station is the busiest railway station in western Odisha with connectivity to all the states and handles hundreds of passenger, express and good trains.
People from nearby areas like Kesinga, Bhawanipatna, Nuapada, Kantabanji ad Rajakhariar come to Titlagarh town for work on a daily basis. Tourist spots around the area also attract a lot of visitors.
With so many trains passing through Titlagarh, the gate at the level crossing is seen down most of the time on any given day.
Local residents and visitors used to experience a lot hardship after being stuck in traffic snarls at the level crossing for hours. This is why the level crossing is referred as ‘Sorrow of Titlagarh’
“With the inauguration of the ROB, we will no longer have to wait for hours at the level crossing,” observed some cheerful local residents.
The 1,042 metres long and 11.05 metres wide ROB is constructed at a cost of Rs 71.59 crore (state share-Rs 38.43 crore and Railway share- Rs 33.16 crore).
