Wagon factory in Kalahandi: Bhakta rues Naveen’s apathy

The Pioneer, April 23, 2012
Congress MP from Kalahandi Bhakta Charan Das seems to have lost his patience over the delay in red signal from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to the Centre for setting up a rail wagon factory in Kalahandi.
Das on Sunday threatened to come on the streets across the district if Patnaik does not identify land for the proposed factory by April 30. Addressing a Press conference here, he pointed out that land for the purpose is sufficiently available in Narla block of Kalahandi district.
Das said it is a matter of shock for the people of Kalahandi that the Chief Minister is ignoring the district’s demand for a rail wagon factory that would provide jobs to thousands of unemployed youth of the district.
He said he was surprised to know that Patnaik had written a letter to the Railway Minister seven days before presentation of the Railway Budget-2012 stating that instead of Kalahandi, the proposed rail wagon factory should be set up at Sitapalli in Ganjam district.
“I personally met Sonia Gandhi, and she called Railway Minister Mukul Roy regarding this matter. When the Centre is asking the State Government to identify land for the factory in Kalahandi, the Chief Minister is ignoring the issue,” he alleged.
Das said he pointed out in the last Budget session that Mamata Banerjee as the Railway Minister had made a commitment to set up the factory in Kalahandi, but the Chief Minister deliberately ignored the matter.
“I will launch an agitation across the district if the Chief Minister does not identify the land for the factory in Kalahandi by April 30”, he warned.
Despite availability of sufficient Government and private lands, the State Government is not keen on setting up the factory in the district, Das said, pointing out that only 50 acres of land is required for the purpose. While the State Government’s permission is needed for establishment of the factory, the Chief Minister is completely politicising the issue, he alleged.
Attacking the district BJD leaders’ silence over the issue, Das said these leaders of the State’s ruling party are not working for the interests of the people of the district. Had these leaders gone to the Chief Minister and urged him to agree to the location of the factory at Narla, the problem could have been resolved easily, he observed.
“I did not have any option despite writing several letters to the State Government on the issue and now I am compelled to go in for agitation, the consequences of which Naveen Patnaik would face. I wanted a peaceful solution, but if the State does not want it, then I don’t have any other option,” Das rued.