Text of petition for Rail Wagon Factory at Narla – Chapatkhanda, Kalahandi

To

Sri Navin Pattnaik                                                              Dated, 9 May 2010
Hon,ble Chief Minister Odisha
Govt. of Odisha, BHubaneswar

Sub – Demand of Rail Wagon Factory at Narla – Chapatkhanda , Narla – Langigad Block, Dist – Kalahandi [ Odisha]

Esteemed Sir
We the people of Narla Assembly Constituency in Dist – Kalahandi demand the setting up of the Rail Wagon factory at Narla [ Chapatkhanda site]. We shall recall your good office that Hon,ble Railway Minister, Miss, Mamata.Banerjee, while presenting the Railway Budget on the floor of Parliament on dated 4th February 2010 categorically mentioned a Wagon factory to be set up at Bhubaneswar / Kalahandi [ Odisha].

In this context, we the people of Narla Constituency see ample justification of setting up of this Rail wagon factory at Narla in District of Kalahandi instead of Bhubaneswar because of -.


1. Coastal Odisha including Bhubaneswar is already a developed area. On the other hand, Narla in KBK region is extremely backward, poverty- stricken and tribal locality. The establishment of this factory at Narla will normally boost local economy and support the livelihood of tribals and bring them into the mainstream of the society. Besides, it will also remove regional imbalance to a great extent.

2. The State capital like Bhubaneswar has no legitimate right in democratic framework to structure everything within its fold or in its immediate neighbhour such as Khurdha, Jatni, Cuttack, Puri etc at the cost of the development of peripheral regions of the state such as our Narla. Moreover, Bhubaneswar has already Mancheswar Rail factory and another wagon factory at the cost of poverty – stricken, backward and tribal area Narla not only negates equal opportunity to all under democracy but also shows pouring oil on the already oily hair.


3. Bhubaneswar today reminds to the intellectuals of the state, especially those of peripheral regions as a barbarous medieval metropolitan centre under kingship which harnessed and exploited the resources of the periphery for its own selfish end.

1. It is a matter of regret rather misfortune that whenever the opportunity for setting up of such a centrally sponsored project / factory comes, the state government always takes the plea of availability of necessary infrastructural facilities. In this case, it may be a fact that more of such facilities are available at Bhubaneswar or its immediate neighbourhood rather than that of Narla of Kalahandi. But our question is who is responsible for such discrepancy? Certainly, the answer is both the State and the Central governments are responsible for this increasing regional imbalance since independence.

Therefore, time has come to redeem the wrong done towards Kalahandi in the past.

2. Both the Centre and the State have sidelined Kalahandi in recent time. The burning cases are – Setting up of the Headquarter of KBK Yojana at Sunabeda [ Koraput] although Kalahandi was the cradle of KBK concept and the Central University at Koraput instead of Kalahandi though Kalahandi for the first time raised the voice in favour of a Central University in 1999.

So, we are again urging upon you to consider our genuine demand and recommend to the Centre for setting up of the Rail Wagon factory in this backward and tribal dominated area and set a new record of your rule.

Step - motherly attitude of the rulers and policy makers cannot be tolerated in the changing scenario of the Nation. Continuous negligence and oversight of the genuine and legitimate demands of the people of backward zones may soon lead to unforeseen situation and may also create grounds for entry of the extremists in the region similar to that of our immediate neighbourhood like Koraput, Rayagada, Malkangiri and Nuapada.

However, the following physical features of the proposed site –Chapatkhanda [ Narla] for this Rail Wagon factory is enumerated here for your perusal.

Physical Feature of Chapatkhanda [ Narla]
Total area --------------------- More than 500 acres of flat Government land
Soil type ---------------------- Red Sandy loom
Distance from Narla town ----------------2.5 KM
Distance from Narla Road Railway Station –------ 3 KM
Distance from S.H connecting Bhubaneswar -------------- 4.5 Km
Underwater level ---------------- 10 to 15 feet
Vegetation ---------- Mixed deciduous vegetation
Surrounded granite outcrop -------- Muding and Lumti hills
Water source -------------- River Sandol is just 2km distance

We the peoples of Narla of Kalahandi district thus request your government to recommend to the Centre this Chapatkhanda site of Narla for Rail Wagon factory.


Yours Sincerely

Peoples of Narla, Dist – Kalahandi, Odisha

Signatures-

Copy to Dr, Manmohan singh, Hon,ble Prime Minister of India, New Delhi for information and necessary action at his end.

Copy to Miss, Mamata Banerjee, Hon,ble Railway Minister, Govt. of India, New Delhi.
Copy to Sri Bhakta Charan Das, Hon,ble M.P, Kalahandi
Copy to Sri. Bhupinder Singh, Hon,ble Leader of Opposition, Odisha Legislative Assembly, Bhubaneswar .
Copy to the Collector & District Magistrate Kalahandi .