Kandhamala : Last month the people of Kandhamal district were dejected a lot,when Kandhamal was deleted in the details project report(DPR)of Gopalpur-Rairakhol new railway line.But now,they are rejoiced as the union railway ministraty assured to include Kandhamal in the railway line.andhamal,treated to be a backward district and included in KBK scheme.For railway line the people across southern region,particularly of Kandhamal were demanding for railway line since more than two decades,which includes dharana and rallies several times.Last month Boudh district was connected in Khurdha-Bolangir railway line,but Kandhamal which was in the proposed Gopalpur-Sambalpur railway line,dropped.Aggrieved with it the elites and several organisations in Kandhamal resorted to agitational path and demanded inclusion of Kandhamal.In last month itself,Commerce and transport dept of Odisha,also requested the Odisha Rail Infrastructure Development ltd(ORIDL).On 18/11/2024,Debashis mohanty,under secretary of commerce and transport dept,odisha in a letter to Managing Director ORIDL,has requested to initiate the survey work for Gopalpur-Rairakhol new Broad rail line via Phulabani as per clause no 21(b)of Joint venture agreement signed between ministry of railways and govt of Odisha and submit the DPR for further consideration to railway board under intimation to Commerce,transport dept of Odisha.To smoothen the process,the odisha under secretary also enclosed a copy of the DO letter dtd 29/102024 of Chairman and CEO,Railway board on the matter.However the matter was not progressed.Yesterday the matter was placed at Parliament by Phulabani MP.Sukant panigrahi.Replying to the question by MP,Panigrahi in Lok Sabha, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the connectivity is proposed to be provided the new line being taken up by Odisha Rail Infrastructure Development Limited (ORIDL). Joint Venture company of government of Odisha and Ministry of Railways.Detailed Project Report (DPR) for this new rail line was prepared by ORIDL,said the railway minister.However, the alignment of proposed new line was not passing through Phulbani which was in contravention to the In-Principle Approval (IPA) granted to ORIDL, the Minister said.Hence,ORIDL has been advised to review the alignment of Gopalpur–Rairakhol new rail line,as the Project is not yet sanctioned,Vaishnav added.Sankar patra advocate,who was one among the persons demanding for the new railway line from Gopalpur-Sambalpur,said we were dejected a lot,as the revised location survey map for Gopalpur-Sambalpur railway line, prepared by ORIDL, reportedly omitted Phulbani town from the map.The initial survey proposed connecting Berhampur, Aska, Kandhamal and Sambalpur.Now,the revised map featured a change in the route, with the line now bypassing Phulbani and connecting the Balangir-Khurda Road railway line near Madhapur via Bhanjanagar which has angered the people of the district.However,now the railway ministry realised the necessisity of inclusion of Kandhamal and made us to heave a sigh of relief.Expressing similar views elites of Kandhamal including Paresh mohapatra,K.K.Pandey,Advocate Bijay krushna pattanaik,Satrapriya mohanty,the rail line will play a important role for economic development of southern districtrs and Kandhamal in particular.They also urged for speedy process for the new railway line.
