Nov 27, 2009
To
The Railway Minister, Smt Mamata Banerjee
CC
The President of India, Smt. Patil
The Prime Minister of India, Dr. Singh
The Chief Minister of Orissa, Mr. Patnaik
MPs from Orissa
Media
Dear honorable Railway Minister, Ms. Banerjee,
It is unfortunate that Orissa is missing in the list of proposed 15 Auto Hub proposed by Indian Railway across the country.
Orissa is among one of the top states which brings huge profit to Indian railway. Similarly in last few years it is leading in the proposed mining and metal based industries in the country. It has a great potential in industrialization, mainly in metal sector which is important for auto industries and for Indian railway, however, Indian railway has continuously neglect this region.
Incidentally, in social point of few it has the most backward pocket of the country, the KBK region. Indian railway is establishing new railway industries in backward pocket of West Bengal but it is neglecting similar pocket in Orissa. Among he proposed 15 Auto Hub at least two are located in West Bengal, out of 15 medical college proposed across the country by Indian railway four are proposed in West Bengal and only one is proposed in Orissa.
Compared to Lalgarh Kalahandi is more known in India for backwardness, still it is considered among the bottom 5 constituency in India unlike Lalgarh.
Kalahandi region is considered along with special category states by Union Government of India when it comes to irrigation project. However, infrastructure development is the key to the success for such a backward region. Unfortunately in railway development Kalahandi is being neglected severely and has not yet been considered by our honorable Prime Minister to give special status along with special category states.
It is clearly evident from struggling ongoing projects such as Lanjigarh road – Junagarh in Kalahandi and Khordha - Balangir line. In last couple of years Indian Railway has committed 50,000 crore investment only in Bihar for various ongoing and new projects where as above line is struggling for completion since past 20 years. A huge commitment and new establishments are also being proposed in West Bengal. In Eastern part of the nation, only Orissa is being continuously and seriously neglected by Indian railway and always maximum benefits are gone to West Bengal and Bihar making Orissa at the receiving end.
In the past Central Government has established HAL project in Sunabeda, Koraput and Ordinance factory in Balangir, both of which has brought employment potential in the local level. However, Kalahandi region was never considered by Union Government of India for any major industrial development such as in engineering, railway units etc and rather has been marginalized since independence due to political negligence. Such an Auto Hub as proposed by Indian railway is important for Kalahandi and more to Orissa.
On the other hand, national politicians have often used backwardness of Kalahandi to show case their eagerness towards the poor people in the society though they fail to scrutinize high rate of unemployment rate among semi-skilled and skilled laborer in the region.
Indian Railway has proposed to establish new factory in UP, Bihar and Kerala. Kalahandi is centrally located in South and Western Orissa including KBK, Kandhamla, Boudh, Gajapati and Bargarh districts. A factory based on engineering in Bhawanipatna region will enormously benefit Kalahandi, Rayagada, Kandhamal, Boudh, Nuapada, Balangir, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Gajpati, Sonepur, Bargarh and Malkangiri equally as it is centrally located to all the districts.
Similarly, a new East Coast railway division in Kalahandi will help to speed up the railway projects in Kalahandi, Rayagada, Kandhamal, Boudh, Nuapada, Balangir, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Gajpati, Sonepur, Bargarh and Malkangiri districts many of which are poorly connected by Indian railway and are at the bottom in social indicators in the nation.
For overall development of the region development of Kalahandi is important and I urge you to specially consider railway project in Kalahandi region as urgent and
(i) Establish a Coach factory as well as a Auto Hub in Bhawanipatna region
(ii) Approve new Kantabanji – Khariar – Dharamgarh – Ampani – Nabarangpur – Jeypur railway line
(iii) Accomplish Bhawanipatna – Jungarh line completely in coming financial year and extend the railway link to Dharamgarh and complete the Khordha road - Balangir line
(iv) Extend Howrah-Titlagarh Ispat Express and Bhubaneswar-Balangir express to Bhawanipatna by renaming as Howrah – Bhawanipatna Ispat Express and Bhubaneswar – Bhawanipatna express respectively.
(v) Extend Raipur – Kesinga passenger, Vizag - Rayagada passenger and Vijaywada – Rayagada passenger to Bhawanipatna.
(vi) Similarly, extend Jharsuguda-Titlagarh passenger to Bhawanipatna and Rourkela
(vii) Establish a new East Coast railway division in Lanjigarh road/Bhawanipatna for railway development especially in KBK-Kandhamal-Boudh region.
Thanking You
With best regards
1 comment:
I was surely surprised but not shocked when the news of openeing of auto hubs was announced by the DIDI of Railways. As has happened umpteen number of times in the independent history, Orissa has been a cursed state whenever developmental projects have been sanctioned and implemented by Centre, be it in infrastruture, social or economic development projects. One shudders to think if pre-independence era was better for Orissa when at least a lot could be done in the infrastructure more particularly in Railways which is the still the lifeline of hinterland and even the mainland Orissa with the mainstream and hardly anything has been added after 1947. Stroy is long and unending but the letter you all have shot is really appreciated and needs to be oursued at the highset level by the pwers that be and by all those in Orissa who are concerned for the greater cause. Thank you
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