Odisha is behind West Bengal to initiate Wagon Factory Project

Sept 26, 2010

Dear Honorable Chief Minister Mr Patnaik,

Your assurance [1] to an eight-member representative group headed by Labour and Employment Minister Puspendra Singh Deo and former Minister Balabhadra Majhi to take the case for establishment of Wagon Factory in Kalahandi is appreciable.

However, the state Government has not yet taken the case to the railway ministry. Other states like West Bengal are moving ahead of Odisha while implementing the Wagon Factory project in their respective states.

Recently Ministry of Railways signed a joint venture agreement with the Public Sector Undertaking of Ministry of Steel namely Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) for setting up Wagon factory in Bardhman district of West Bengal [2].

Odisha must take this issue in similar spirit to Ministry of Railway and Railway Minister. State Government might also catalyze and suggest Ministry of Railway to form a joint venture with other public sector like SAIL Rourkela, NALCO, etc or private party in Odisha such as Bhusan Steel, Jindal Stainless, Essar Steel, HINDALCO or other interested party to establish the proposed Wagon Factory in Kalahandi.

As per the project in Bardhaman only about 20 acres of land is required which can be easily managed to get around Bhawanipatna, Narla, Kesinga, Lanjigarh road, Junagarh, Dharamgarh or any other location in Kalahandi. Railway link to Bhawanipatna and Junagarh is soon going to be accomplished and will be further extended. Plenty of Government land is available for such project near Jaring, Bhawanipatna, Junagarh, Kesinga, Narla, Lanjigarh road, Dharamgarh etc.

There is a Central School in Bhawanipatna and there was a new proposal to establish one such school in Dharamgarh, which might hopefully be sanctioned soon.

Therefore, even if such a project comes around the district headquarter Bhawanipatna or Junagarh-Dharamgarh, technically it should not be a problem in terms of railway link, availability of land and other basic infrastructure in education and health.

I urge you that state Government immediately initiates to take the issue to the railway ministry and other interested party in Odisha to form a joint venture to establish the proposed Wagon factory in Kalahandi as soon as possible.

Thank you and best regards

Digambara Patra

1. http://www.dailypioneer.com/DisplayContent.aspx?ContentID=272687&URLName=CM-to-hold-talks-for-rail-wagon-factory-in-K%25u2019handi
2. http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=65740