Dear PM: Drawing your attention towards KBK and tribal area Rail connectivity
APPEAL to readers, CENTER & ODISHA, ECOR, Railway network in Odisha, Railways, SER August 30th. 2007, 2:04pmFollowing is the letter I sent to the PM with copy to Orissa CM, MPs, planning commission and chairman of the railway board. Please consider sending a similar letter to them. If possible please fax the letter to the PMO rather than emailing him.
PM’s fax numbers are 23016857 , 23015603 (Delhi STD code is 11)
Lalu’s fax number is 23387333
To: Dr. Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister
India
Cc: Mr. Arjun Singh, Minister of HRD, Government of India
Cc: Mr. Lalu Yadav, Minister of Railways, Government of India
Cc: Mr. Chandrasekhar Sahu, Union Minister of State, Government of India
Cc: Mr. Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister, Orissa
Cc: Members of Parliament from Orissa
Cc: Media
Subject: KBK and other adivasi areas of Orissa and India can not be left behind while rest of India marches forward with high speed rail; metro rail and freight corridors
Dear Dr. Singh:
First we would like to convey our heartfelt thanks for your recent higher education initiatives that you outlined in the last Independence Day speech; in particular, the announcement regarding 8 new IITs, 7 new IIMs, and 30 new central Universities with 16 of them going to states that do not have any central university. We sincerely hope that in picking the locations for these institutions you will keep in mind that for 60 years no IIT, IIM or central university have been established in Orissa. As a rapidly industrializing state, our highest priority is a new IIT. Following that, since there already exists 23 central universities, and you plan to have 30 more, and Orissa has none yet, our next priority is to have two new central universities in Orissa. We also request that the central university that is proposed to be in the KBK region should have multiple campuses so that it can cover the vast and tribal areas of KBK and because of the very high tribal and backward population in that area this university should be treated at par with the central universities in the north east. Again, we thank you from our heart for your initiatives and thank the HRD minister Mr. Arjun Singh for his role in this.
The above initiatives have restored in us some of the faith that we had earlier lost in your government. Now we would like to point out another burning issue with respect to Orissa that needs to be urgently addressed.
That issue is Rail connectivity to the hinterlands of Orissa, such as the KBK and other tribal districts of Orissa. As you are very well aware these areas are the most backward and poor areas of India; they have a very high tribal population; and are also infested with extremists. One of the important steps in uplifting these areas is making them well connected to the rest of India. That is where Rail Connectivity comes to picture.
As one of the earlier planning commissions has noted
in http://planningcommission.nic.in/plans/stateplan/sdr_orissa/sdr_orich2.doc
“Railways have always played an important role in economic development and rapid social transformation in all parts of the globe. It is one of the key economic infrastructures. However, it is most unfortunate that in a poor and backward state like Orissa, development of rail networks has received much less attention of the Central Government in the post-independence period. There are as many as seven districts like Boudh, Kandhamal, Deogarh, Nayagarh, Kendrapara, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur out of the 30 districts of the state, which do not have any railway line passing through them. In the year 1998-99, the density of railway route length per 1000 sq. km of area in Orissa was only 15.03 km as against 42.66 km in West Bengal and 19.11 km. at all-India level”.
The Railway ministry has grand plans for the 11th plan period that includes two freight corridors, high speed rail, and metro rail in several areas and it has a budget of Rs 251,000 crores. While none of these high flying plans (2 freight corridors, high speed rail segments and metro rails) are in Orissa, we are not in a position to rue over that; rather we request that while the rest of India marches forward with 2 freight corridors, high speed rail segments and metro rails during the 11th plan, KBK and other adivasi areas of Orissa and India be not left behind. The particular lines we are referring to are:
1) Khurda – Balangir
2) Gunupur-Theruvali
3) Lanjigarh Rd – Bhawanipatna – Junagarh – Nabarangpur- Jeypore – Malkangiri – Bhadrachalam Rd (Andhra Pradesh)
4) Talcher – Bimlagarh
5) Bangiriposi -Gurumahishasini and/or Buramara-Chakulia.
6) Badampahar-Keonjhar
Often the Railway ministry and Railway board has labeled some of the pending lines in these areas as unprofitable and has given them such a low priority that at the current rate of funding (annual allocation less than the inflation) these lines may never be completed.
While the railways calculation may show these lines as unprofitable; they are not unprofitable if one considers how much Indian Railways earns from these areas. For example, the ECOR GM Shri Surendra Singh Khurana in his Independence Day address (available at http://eastcoastrailway.gov.in/custom/press_release/index.php) while talking about ECOR, said: “With only 4% of the track of Indian Railways, we cater for about 12% of total loading of Indian railway and about 7% of total earning of IR.” In regards to profitability, for the 2003-2004 and 2004-05 the working expense as part of gross earnings of the ECOR zone is the second best at 66.64% and 61.75% respectively. The profit making zones in those years were South east central (62.8% and 56.1%), ECOR (66.64% and 61.75%), North central (76.33% and 66.71%), Central (80.29% and 82.48%), South eastern (81.24% and 83.51%), South Central (85.72% and 83.62%), West Central (80.99% and 84.08%), South Western (91.35% and 86.15%), Western (93.21% and 90.85%), Northern (91.08% and 92.89%) and East Central (93.65% and 98.9%). The loss making zones were: metro Kolkata (247% and 264.38%), North Eastern (151.93% and 160.88%), Northeast Frontier (147.98% and 159.45%), Eastern (161.3% and 152.84%), Southern (118.55% and 120.79%) and North Western ( 106.26% and 104.98%).
So, if the Indian Railway is making 7% of its earning from ECOR and a much higher percent of its profit from ECOR is not it unfair to give only 4% of its track to ECOR? This means profit and revenue from ECOR is being ploughed into rest of India. Nothing wrong with that per se, except that the part of ECOR that is neglected is the most backward part of India, and has a high tribal percentage. Some of these tribals, without proper connectivity, risk their lives and travel on the roof of freight trains. Does India and Indian Railways want to take money and investment away from the tribal and backward areas to enrich its metro residents?
Dr. Singh: Is that the India of your dreams? Is that the equality and inclusiveness that you talk about in your speeches?
We don’t think so!
Perhaps this has not come to your notice. Perhaps your current planning commission has not brought this to your notice. It is our sincere request that you look at this issue and include in the 11th plan the completion of the earlier mentioned lines and the establishment of a few rail factories in the backward and tribal areas of India, possible 1-2 in the KBK districts.
(Additional data points are in the attached document.)
Sincerely,
Chitta Baral
October 23rd, 2007 at 12:06 pm
sir ,
its my request 2 look aft kbk district in a serious way, its really getting bizzare. The country is shining but some people still remains in dark. hope u will listen my request n act quickly .
November 14th, 2007 at 6:35 am
Dear Sir,
KBK is still one of the most backward region in the country. Its the tribal belt of india which need to be connected to rest of the cities. Its the high time government must take some concrete action for the devlopment of this region.
November 14th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
Dear Sir,
it is hgh time now KBK districts ,and in Orissa in total has been treated as step motherly attitude by Indian railiways.
Though Esat Cost Railway is profiting in many fold the sum has not been invested in these back ward areas.I would like to request to provide the necessery facilities as Orissa and its people deserve .
Regards
Arka Mohanty
December 20th, 2007 at 6:58 pm
Respected Sir,
It’s my humble request Sir for all the KBK people as well orissa people to take the proper steps to develop their econmical condtion,communicational condition to diffrent part of the country through Railways, Which plays a major roll now a days in our country. As we have been requesting for a quite long and nothing is being changed. So we have a great hope u will take proper steps in this discussion and give new years gift to the people of orissa.
Regards
Pravakar kalas
Khurda, Tangi,Udayagiri
January 27th, 2008 at 2:47 am
Sir,
Constitution of india is based on the principles of Justice,liberty,equality and fraternity.
Have we not failed in bringing social,economic and political justice to the poorest of the country under starvation in western Orissa?
Have we not failed in bringing them equality of status and opportunities?
One-India needs introspection.We need to bring them to the main stream only after strong connectivity.
Out of three planning models(walking city,transit city and automobile city) we must make our cities both walking and transit but not automobile.
The freight corridor planning by Indian railways is most welcome but it requires an integrated approach with networking at regional level.
India’s development lies on prioritising development of remote areas.
Development essentially means connectivity.Fund should not be a constraint in the present world of globalisation.We need a vision and a strong sense of commitment irrespective of power politics.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:59 am
Sir,A wonderful blogspot has been launched.Congratulation. -K.C.Panigrahy,Directer,TRIBAL MUSEUM, Koraput-764020,Orissa,India.
March 11th, 2008 at 6:05 am
Sir,
Thanks for the initiative. But…
On a recent visit to Puri Hon’ble Railway Minister told the media that if the state govt. agrees to bear 50 per cent of the cost, his ministry will take up Puri Konark new BG line project. The option left to us now is political action. Whosoever comes to power, UPA or NDA, constituent parties from Orissa must insist on the railway ministry for an MP from Orissa.
March 14th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Sir,
Orissa needs support from you for its industrialization and growth hence i believe you will ignore all the political aspects and will give full support for rising orissa in terms of basic needs like infrastructure like Railway,Education(IIT),KBK Development, Tourism.
Thanks
Pradyumna…
March 18th, 2008 at 5:32 am
Sir,a excellent blog spot has been launched.Congrats.
Itz a excellent idea of having a tourist train joining konark n puri. Hopefully irrespective of who is the railway minister and which party in power…projects should be implimented on ground.
July 2nd, 2008 at 2:52 am
Respected Sir,
Konark is an world class tourist place.There is no rail connection to nearest airport (Bhubaneswar).
You should look into the issue.
Thanks,
Debabrata
July 3rd, 2008 at 12:57 am
I am agree with Debabrata.
Thanks,
Biswanath
July 11th, 2008 at 11:22 pm
is any politiacal party or administrated is thinging of orissa
what is ans yes or no
September 20th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
Dear PM, Orissa has been contributing a lot to the central exchequer whether its coal royalty or proceeds of Alumina and steel industries.But despite all this, Orissa remains one of the poorest states of the country, partly to blame inadequate development of Road, Rail and Air connectivity.And whose responsibility is this? Its time the center should fulfil its obligations towards the people of our state.