Demand for an ECOR rail division in Rourkela grows
Baripada - Bangiriposi (under constr.), Bhadrakh - Dhamara (port conn. planned), Buramara - Chakulia, CKP ... Bhalulata - Rourkela - Jharsuguda Jn - Daghora , ECOR, Jaleshwar-Digha, Rourkela - Biramitrapur, Rourkela- Kansbahal, Rupsa Jn - Baripada, Sundergarh January 15th. 2011, 1:54pmFollowing is an excerpt from a report in expressbuzz.com.
How justified is the demand to carve out a separate railway division at Rourkela under the East Coast Railway (ECoR)? Given the continuing neglect towards the infrastructure and passenger amenities over decades, the demand is gaining momentum.
With apolitical and political outfits jumping on the bandwagon to seek separation of Rourkela from the Chakradharpur division of the South Eastern Railway (SER), the Railway Ministry is likely to feel the heat ahead.
Train Passenger Steering Committee convener and Rourkela Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Subrat Patnaik in tandem with the members of the Rourkela Development Forum (RDF) and Rourkela Railfanning Association (RRA) are vociferous in their demand. The local BJD unit has gone a step ahead to threaten disruption of mineral transportation by rail if the issue was not sorted out.
Locals feel, in the changed scenario, the triangular districts of Sundargarh, Jharsuguda and Keonjhar – high on industrial and mining activities – would no longer tolerate further neglect as Sundargarh alone annually contributes ` 800 crore to SER.
… Inadequate train services and infrastructure apart, the lingering of the proposed Bimlagarh-Talcher rail link is a stark pointer of neglect, they stated.
Even 10 per cent of the revenue generated from the regions is not spent to benefit a population of over 50 lakh.
RDF and RRA members Dilip Mohanty, Mahendra Mishra, Mihir Swain and Supratik Mishra sent a memorandum to the Railway Ministry over the demand claiming the combined revenue share from these three districts is anything over ` 2,200 crore. …
The fact that there is an ECOR division in Sambalpur (147 kms from Rourkela) and Chakradharpur (101 kms from Rourkela) should not be a concern as there are many railway divisions that are much closer. In http://www.rourkelacity.com/top-news/rourkelare-rela-division/ it is mentioned that there are separate rail divisions in Varanasi and Mughalsarai that are only 17 kms apart, Guntur and Vijaywada that are 34 kms apart and so on.
The petition at http://www.petitionodisha.in/transportation/creating-a-new-east-coast-railway-division-at-rourkela/ lists various reasons why a ECOR rail division in Rourkela is needed. Please visit it and sign it.
There is also a similar need for a railway division in Rayagada or Kesinga/Lanjigarh Rd/Bhawanipatna to cater to existing lines and to the many new lines that are coming up there. The new lines include Naupada-Gunupur and its extension to Therubali and Lanjigarh Rd – Junagarh and its extension to Nabarangpur and Jeypore. With many people in Viskhapatnam demanding that the VSKP division be split from ECOR, if that happens the Odisha part of the current VSKP division as well the above mentioned new lines should be moved to the proposed division at Rayagada or Kesinga/Lanjigarh Rd/Bhawanipatna.
In North Odisha with several new lines coming up (Bhadrakk – Dhamara, Chakulia – Buramara, Jaleswar – Digha, ) and with the commencement of broad gauge service in the Rupsa-Baripada-Bangiriposi line a new division in Balasore or Bhadrak is warranted. SER greatly meshed up the Rupsa-Baripada-Bangiriposi line costing Indian Railways significantly. See page 8-9 of 2006-may-CAG report. These parts should also be taken away from SER.
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January 15th, 2011 at 2:14 pm
A similar demand for a railway division at Berhampur for devlopment of railway infrastructure in the region and to stop the discrimination to Ganjam and adjoining Districts in railway issues has been going on for years. BJD MPs raised this issue in parliament in the past also. Similarly a new railway dision is being demanded at Rayagada. So, I think more railway divisions are good for the state and therefore new Railway Divisions must be set up at Berhampur, Rourkela, Balasore and Rayagada.So, 6 railway divisions are justified for 30 districts of Orissa.
January 16th, 2011 at 2:23 am
i cant understand “why bharatiya rail ” is so biased towords odissa???even if we are paying a very heavy amount
January 16th, 2011 at 11:27 am
I think it is absolutely justified for Rourkela to have a separate railway division. I would suggest the RDF and RFA members use the media extensively to push their case. Just a report here and there in the papers will not do. RDF and RFA members need to involve the MLAs/MPs from the region it is only then that their voices will be heard.
January 16th, 2011 at 2:18 pm
Great job Rourkela Development Forum and Rourkela Railfanning Association. This issue shuld be taken with all concerned ministers and authorities MPs MLAs
@ Siba Prasad
hold!
do u think Railway Division is a saleable commodity in market that anyone can buy .
Rourkela and Berhampur as divisions are OK, but Rayagada and Balasore are yet to develop a lot for getting all these
January 17th, 2011 at 2:59 am
The proposed Berhampur railway division should be carved out as the distance between Visakhapatnam and Khurdha divisions are more than 400 kms. Berhampur division should extend from Naupada to Balugaon. This will be crcial for executing Naupada-Therubali lines as Visakhapatnam division is not interested in this line that will divert freight to Gopalpur port instead of Vizag. further the proposed Berhampur-Sambalpur railwy line via Phulbani will get a big push with this new division as the financial health of a division is crucially linked with freight traffic and hence port connectivity.
January 17th, 2011 at 11:43 pm
@stingidea
we have been pushing with the press for the last two months, but hardly 3-4 have responded so far. We have taken up the issue with political parties like BJD and Congress and now BJD is going with the idea of an economic blockade.
However the case of MPs is entirely different. Congress MP from Sundargarh Hemananda Biswal who happens the former CM of Odisha, is not showing any interest in the issue, while Rajya Sabha MP Mangala Kishan has assured to raise the issue in the Parliament, but that is also doubtful. MP from Jharsuguda Kishore Mohanty had already raised this issue in Parliament a number of times and he will do it again.
The main obstacle in the development of Rourkela/Sundargarh is its indigenous identity and inclusion in the list of scheduled areas. For better representation we need unreserved candidates in both houses of the Parliament who will take up major issues.
Dillip Kumar Mohanty
Rourkela Railfanning Association (RRA)
January 18th, 2011 at 3:02 pm
@Dilip Kumar Mohanty: Terrific Work in the background. Really encouraging to see people fighting for a cause.
The reaction of the MPs is so typical of our politicians. One really wonders why they are elected time and again by the people. For a brief moment I was reminded of the cash for questions news that had surfaced a year or two back!
Keep pushing your case. Perhaps on a semi-serious note you might also think of writing a letter in Bengali to the railway minister from Bengali residents in Rourkela. Who knows it might work.
January 18th, 2011 at 8:39 pm
Thanx
the positive development is that last evening BJD has launched severe agitation in the issue. Till 20th they will move in every nook and corner of the city to aware the people. From 21st they will sit at ‘dharna’ infront of the station and from 28th economic blockade.
January 21st, 2011 at 10:58 am
sir
dharna started infront of rourkela station
January 25th, 2011 at 11:29 am
Economic Blockade by BJD Rourkela from 28th January 2011. PLz support
January 28th, 2011 at 10:32 am
Economic Blockade started at Rourkela
February 16th, 2011 at 9:00 am
The “Daily Pioneer” also highlighted the above facts, published earlier in an article dated 9th Dec, 2010. Please do refer:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/302236/Demand-for-ECoR-division-HQ-in-Rourkela-gain-momentum.html
February 18th, 2011 at 5:14 pm
From http://www.sify.com/finance/orissa-seeks-expansion-of-ecor-s-jurisdiction-news-news-lctbkhgajih.html
With a view to streamline the administration of East Coast Railway (ECoR) and improve rail facilities for passengers and bulk customers, the Orissa government has requested the Ministry of Railways to create a new railway division at Rayagada under the jurisdiction of the zonal railway.
The new rail lines proposed under this division are Nuapada-Gunpur with extension to Rayagada/Therubali, Rayagada-Titlagarh-Raipur, Koraput-Rayagada, Koraput-Jeypore-Jagdalpur, Lanjigarh Road-Junagarh and also railway lines in Malkangiri, Koraput and Nabarangpur districts. This was informed by minister for commerce & transport Sanjeev Kumar Sahoo in the state assembly.
“Expansion of the jurisdiction of ECoR has become a necessity in the light of of the recent industrial projects coming up in Orissa for ensuring better coordination and facilitation of bulk customers. We have requested the Ministry of Railways to either extend the jurisdiction of Sambalpur division to include Jharsuguda-Barsuan-Kiriburu, Rourkela-Nuagaon and Jharsuguda-Himgiri or create a new division with headquarters at Rourkela/Jharsuguda under the jurisdiction of ECoR. Likewise, the jurisdiction of ECoR may be extended to include Banspani-Padapahar, Rupsa-Bangriposi and Bhadrak-Laxmannath road sections and a new railway division should be set up with headquarters at Jajpur-Keonjhar Road”, Sahoo stated.
The Orissa government has requested the Ministry of Railways to sanction Rs 2085 crore for the state in the current financial year for various railway projects including new rail links, extension of existing rail links, improvement in passenger amenities, introduction of new trains and increase in frequency of trains.
February 19th, 2011 at 12:33 am
please dont give any option like extension of SBP, demand will be diluted…
we want rourkela divison.thats it.
we dont want to be a part of sambalpur divison. no need to put it on ecor if it will come under sambalpur divison
February 20th, 2011 at 1:41 am
This is a totally biased statement. Despite of petitions, logical reasons,agitations, movements, such type of idiotic statement is not accepted. This person Sanjeeb Sahoo was at Rourkela last month and he appreciated as well as strongly supported the ungoing econnomic blockade of BJD Rourkela unit.
The stand of the state government should be cleared on this vital issue.
This minister should apologize to the people and should focus on Rourkela Division rather than extending the jurisdiction of Sambalpur Division.
Else he should resign or be forced to resign at the moment