Berhampur: The railways ministry has given a short shrift to south Odisha as the ambitious Gopalpur-Rayagada railway project has been confined to survey only. Another project like a rail wagon factory at Sitalapalli has been shifted by the NDA government elsewhere, a report said.
According to the report, 12 years have passed since the survey for the Gopalpur-Rayagada railway project was conducted. The project has been stuck in a stalemate.
Similarly, another project passenger halt station in Berhampur has been neglected. Various quarters alleged that MLAs and MPs in south Odisha have failed to pressurise the central government to work on these projects.
Notably, the UPA government initiated efforts for the railway project to connect Gopalpur to Rayagada when then Congress MP Chandra Shekhar Sahu was a minister. Sahu has pressurized the then railway minister to execute the project. Sahu laid the foundation stone for the survey work for the project.
A private agency was awarded the survey work and even submitted its report to the railway ministry in time. Rs 4 crore was spent for the project.
In 2012, the Planning Commission had approved its cost estimate. The railway project was expected to pave the way for connectivity to various tribal-dominated pockets in the south, apart from pushing economic progress in the region.
Significantly, apart from passenger service, it would provide cargo transportation. Products of Nalco in Koraput district would easily be transported to Gopalpur port and from there the products would be exported to various countries. It will also help in commercial performance of the port. Various quarters and intelligentsia have always been laying stress on the execution of the project.
As for the Shitalpalli rail wagon factory, over 100 acres were identified in the area. Later, a technical team of the railway ministry had taken stock of the status several times in the past. But the water factory project was stalled later. A part of the land identified for the wagon factory has been used for Tata Hospital.
People of the Silk City have staged agitations demanding execution of the passenger halt station. They have formed Passenger Halt Sangram Samiti for this purpose.
Four years ago, when the Samiti members intensified their agitation for the project, some railway officials had taken stock of the situation. In 2016, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had taken up the issue with then Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu.
It is a matter of pity that, the project has not been executed. The proposed railway station, once executed, will benefit people of 25 villagers in the periphery.
PNN