Bhograi: With the fate of the long-pending Jaleswar-Digha broad gauge rail route still hanging in balance, people living along the Odisha-West Bengal border appear sceptical about the proposed Jaleswar-Chandaneswar new rail route ever becoming a reality.
According to reports, despite receiving approval 14 years ago with an estimated cost of Rs 352.65 crore, work on the 41-km Jaleswar-Digha railway project is yet to begin. Against that backdrop, discussions on the new Jaleswar-Chandaneswar rail route have evoked lukewarm responses from the border residents in both the states.
The scepticism stems from the ground that in the interim Budget, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had announced allocations of Rs10,599 crore for Odisha, and Rs13,955 crore for West Bengal. However, there was no clarity on the specific funds allocated for these two railway projects.
According to sources, both Odisha and West Bengal governments are focused on boosting tourism, boosting exports, and regional development. The construction of Subarnarekha-Choumukh ports in Subarnarekha estuary under Baliapal block of Balasore district, and at Tajpur under Ramnagar block in West Bengal is expected to drive economic growth. As a result, both rail routes are seen as critical infrastructure for these initiatives.
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Border residents believe the railway projects will improve connectivity with northern and southern states while facilitating cost-effective transportation of local produce such as betel leaves, paddy, coconut, groundnuts, and marine fish to other states.
The Jaleswar-Digha railway project was first proposed to the Central Railway Board by the then Odisha government in 1994-95 fiscal to meet the needs of border residents. During the tenure of United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in Centre, former minister Srikant Jena presented the railway project in Parliament.
In 2005, former minister and MLA late Ananta Das launched efforts for realisation of the project. As a result, the state Assembly’s standing committee met the then railway minister Mamata Banerjee in the UPA government to push for the project’s swift implementation.
A Detailed Project Report (DPR) was prepared by October 2009, and an initial token allocation of Rs65 lakh was approved in 2009-10. Later, a budget of Rs150 crore was sanctioned for the project in 2010-11.
Land acquisition in Jaleswar and Bhograi blocks for a 34-km stretch of the 41-km railway line from Jaleswar in Odisha to Digha in West Bengal is in final stage while land in the remaining 7 km stretch in West Bengal has not yet been acquired, the railway minister informed. Due to this delay, the fate of the railway project has been pushed into uncertainty, reports said.
In March 2023, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw visited Bhograi block in Balasore district and offered prayers at the Chandaneswar temple. During his visit, he pledged to connect the 34-km Jaleswar-Chandaneswar route with a new railway line. Following this announcement, Balasore MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi recently confirmed that the South Eastern Railway Board has initiated a techno-economic feasibility survey for the railway project. While this news revived hopes among locals in Odisha, it left West Bengal residents concerned regarding its impact.
In the meantime, a fresh political controversy has erupted after Balasore MP announced in meetings that Rs1,000 crore has been sanctioned for the Jaleswar-Chandaneswar rail line.
Meanwhile, Opposition parties slammed the Central government for neglecting passenger safety, railway accidents, availability of quality food and drinking water, and railway staff security in its Budget. They argue that while the long-pending Jaleswar-Digha rail project remains in limbo due to a lack of commitment and efficiency, the proposed new Jaleswar-Chandaneswar rail line is merely a false promise to Balasore residents.
Former minister Srikant Jena alleged that the Union government has consistently ignored Odisha and West Bengal in railway Budget allocations, hindering progress on the Jaleswar-Digha line. He claimed that the new rail project between Jaleswar-Chandaneswar is nothing more than a political gimmick for electoral gains. Former MP Rabindra Jena echoed this sentiment, calling the BJP’s move a poll plank.
Congress leader Satyashiva Das accused the BJP of misleading the people with “double-engine governance” that delivers “double betrayal”. Meanwhile, Bhograi MLA Gautam Buddha Das questioned the legitimacy of the Rs1,000 crore allocation, claiming there is no official confirmation of the funds.
PNN
