Bhubaneswar: Senior citizen and convenor of Dandakaranya Vikash Mahamancha— Gourachandra Tripathy Friday began a silent satyagraha in front of Rail Sadan in Bhubaneswar, demanding the immediate completion of the long-pending Nabarangpur–Jeypore–Malkangiri railway project.
The protest highlights the continued lack of railway connectivity in Nabarangpur and Malkangiri—two of Odisha’s most backward and tribal-dominated districts— even 78 years after India’s Independence.
The railway line, proposed in 2016, has completed surveys and received administrative approvals, besides being repeatedly mentioned in Railway Budgets, Parliament discussions and election manifestos.
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However, the project is yet to receive full financial sanction or a clearly defi ned completion timeline. Despite repeated assurances that the project would be taken up in ‘mission mode’, work remains stuck at the preliminary land acquisition stage.
“People of this region are exhausted by hollow assurances. What they need now is visible, time-bound action, not ceremonial promises,” Tripathy said.
“For us, the railway is not a luxury—it is a lifeline,” Tripathy asserted, adding that the project is crucial for improving healthcare, education, agriculture, employment, tourism and overall socio-economic development in the region.