Chhattisgarh CM demands more rail infra
Business Standrad, June 26, 2009
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh has demanded four new trains and survey of five new railway routes in the state.
Dr Singh wrote a letter to the Railway Minister, Mamata Banerjee, seeking more rail infrastructure for the state. The Chief Minister had urged the Union Minister to include the proposals of the state in the Rail Budget, proposed to be presented on July 3.
The four new trains that the state had demanded include Durg-Bilaspur-Jammu, Durg-Guwahati, Ambikapur-Bilaspur Intercity Express and a superfast train from Bilaspur to Thiruvananthapuram, state government officials said here today.
The state government had also sought new rail lines in the northern part of the state to facilitate transportation of coal from the mineral rich pocket. Besides Raigarh-Mad-Gharghora-Tamnaar, Dr Singh has urged the Railway Minister to conduct survey for laying new rail lines between Ambikapur and Barwadih (Jharkhand), Korba-Katghora-Pendra, and Dongargarh-Kawardha-Mungeli-Takhatpur.
The Chief Minister has also demanded conversion of Raipur- Dhamtari narrow-gauge line into broad gauge and to conduct survey of extending the line upto Dallirajharra-Jagdalpur line to enable easy transportation of iron-ore from the Rowghat mines.
Sources said Dr Singh wanted to hand over the proposals to the Railway Minister during his recent New Delhi visit. But since Mamata Banerjee was in Kolkata, the meeting could not take place.
The state government had pointed out that the Bilaspur zone of Railway in Chhattisgarh was generating maximum revenue for the railways. Despite this, the region remained neglected in the rail infrastructure.
Dr Singh has also urged to sanction new railway station for the proposed new capital of Chhattisgarh.
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Copy of an email sent to CM of Chhattisgarh on July 2, 2008
To
The Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Dr Singh
Copt to: The Governor of Chhattisgarh, Mr Narsimhan,
The Chief Minister of Orissa, Mr Patnaik,
Dear honorable Chief-minister of Chhatisgarh, Dr Singh,
I would like to bring your kind attention to the following petition.
http://www.petitiononline.com/kbkrail/petition.html
I hope along with Orissa Government, Chhatisgarh state Government would take this issue to the central Government for declaring railway project in KBK and bordering Chhattisgarh region as National Project since the whole region is naxal prone, backward, hilly and tribal populated, so that people living in the bordering area of both the states are enormously benefited.
Thank you and kind regards
Digambara Patra
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Sub:- Declare railway projects in multi-facet backward KBK and bordering regions in Chhatisgarh, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh as National Project in the Line of North Eastern States of India
To
The President of India
The Prime Minister of India
Copy to:
The Union Railway Minister
The Chief Minister of Orissa
The Chief Minister of Chhatisgarh
Planning Commission of India
Chairman, Indian Railway Board
Media
Dear honorable President and Prime minister of India,
Kalahandi-Balangir- Koraput (KBK) region in Orissa is a multi-facet backward region due to hilly backwardness, tribal populated backwardness and backward due to natural calamities.
Similar backward regions in India like North Eastern States have received special treatment by railway board where as KBK region has been neglected since decades. Even hilly region like Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand have received special package in railway by Govt. of India. Unfortunately, KBK region where backwardness is multi-facet has not yet received similar treatment.
Naxal activities are predominantly high in the border between Orissa and Chhatisgarh/ Andhra Pradesh due to poor communication and infrastructure and recently it is spreading to other bordering and backward districts like Balangir, Nuapada and Kalahandi districts.
The railway infrastructure in Orissa and Chhatisgarh is substantially low compared to national average despite both the states are in the profit making zones, where as railway infrastructure in Bihar and West Bengal are remarkably high though they are in the loss making zones.
Ref: http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/maps/all_india.htm
East Coast zone and South Eastern zone (under which Orisss state comes) and South East Central zone (under which Chhatisgarh state comes) of Indian railways are among top most profit making zones and large amount profit made by Indian railway comes from the royalty by transporting coal, metals, ores, and minerals which Orissa and Chhatisgarh substantially contribute, however, Indian railway has ignored Orissa, specially KBK region, since decades.
Ref: http://www.orissalinks.com/orissagrowth/archives/489
Politically, Indian railway was being always misused by railway ministry and development in the important backward but profit making states like Orissa and Chhatisgarh was being marginalized.
For example, Khordha road – Balangir and Lanjigarh road – Junagarh railway lines in Orissa which were approved much earlier than Muzaffarpur – Sitamari and Sultangang-Deogarh railway lines in Bihar are still struggling to be accomplished, but other two lines in Bihar are completed by now.
Ref: http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/
During last 15 years, more railway lines were approved in Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and West Bengal (all of them comes under loss making zones) than Orissa and Chhatisgarh (both are in profit making zones). The lines accomplished in Orissa are solely due to mineral transportation for railway’s own interest unlike in those above states mentioned earlier.
In last 5 years Indian railway is establishing three railway plants in Bihar (loss making zone) and one in Kerala (another loss making zone), but none of the plants including the recently proposed power plant by Indian railway, was being established in Orissa or Chhatisgarh despite profit making zones and rich in coal. Such railway plant through Govt. initiative in multi-facet backward region like KBK is imminent for social development.
Since decades, funds allotted in the railway budgets to profit making zones like East Coast railway (ECOR) and South East Central railway (SECR) is lower/comparable as/to that of loss making zones like Eastern railway, North Eastern railway and Southern railway zones. The large amount of funds allotted to ECOR is towards mineral transportation and there was very little fund towards social need of the state.
We do not have any objection towards development of railway infrastructure in Bihar, West Bengal and any other states in India rather would like to see their well being, but we are totally against the marginalization of Indian railway towards backward state and region like Orissa, Chhatisgarh and KBK.
We propose Orissa and Chhatisgarh State Governments to give land free of cost for railway development in the backward region and Central Government of India to declare all the railway projects in KBK and bordering regions in Chhatisgarh, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh as national projects in the line of North Eastern states of India as soon as possible, and
(i) Accomplish immediately Khordha road – Balangir railway line to connect the KBK region with state capital
(ii) Approve Junagarh – Ambagura line proposed under extension of Lanjigarh road – Junagarh line
(iii) Approve Bargarh – Padampur - Nuapada road - Kantabanji – Khariar- Ampani-Navarangur- Jeypore – Makangiri – Kottagudem (Andhra Pradesh) new line in the backward region, which would help to monitor naxal acitivities by bringing development in the region
(iv) Carry out new survey and approve Rajim (Chhatisgarh) – Gariaband (Chhatisgarh) – Deobhog (Chhatisgahr) – Junagarh – Lanjigarh road – Simanbadi (Kandhamal) – Asika- Berhampur – Gopalpur line to directly connect Raipur with Gopalpur port passing through one of the most backward regions of India.
(v) Carry out new survey and approve Dhamtari (Chhatisgarh) – Umarrkote (Orissa) – Nabrangpur (Orissa) line, an alternative direct access to Gopalpur and Visakhapatnam ports from Raipur and other mining region in Chhatisgarh.
(vi) Carry out new survey and approve Simanbadi -Phulbani-Angul line to benefit NALCO by further reducing the distance between Damanjodi (Asia’s largest Alumina plant) and Angul and passing through tribal backward region.
Thank you and best regards
Sincerely,
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