Sharing cost of Khordha-Balangir appreciable but Lanjigarh road-Talcher and Junagarh-Malkangiri do need too!!!

Dear Honorable Chief Minister Mr. Patnaik,

I am very pleased and happy to learn that Odisha Government has decided to share 50 % of the total cost of Khordha-Balangir railway line. In addition the state Govt. will provide land for this project free of cost to Indian railways. I am personally thankful for this move by the state Government and my heartiest congratulation to you.

Similarly, it is important for the state Government to equally realize the fact that unless Odisha Government takes a proactive move for sanctioning projects like Junagarh-Nabarangpur-Jeypore-Malkangiri and Lanjigarh road-Phulbani-Talcher railway lines, the Indian Railways may buy decades after decades to even approve and implement such projects in backward region of the state as it happened for Lanjigarh road-Junagarh and Khordha-Balangir lines earlier.

Lanjigarh road-Phulbani-Talcher line will not only bring backward and tribal Kandhamal district to the railway map for the first time, it will also connect Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Balangir (Titialagrh and Kantabanji region), and Nabarangpur district directly with Bhubaneswar and Cuttack by joining Kordha-Balangir route at Puruna Cuttack (or Charichok). This will make accessible to large part of inaccessible KBK and Kandhamal region from the state capital directly and help in countering Maoist activities in the region. Beside that this line will facilitate alumina/coal transportation for NALCO from its refinery in Damajodi to its Smelter in Angul by reducing distance about 100 km, thus, it has commercial and industrial benefits.

Junagarh-Nabarangpur-Jeypore-Malkangiri route will also for the first time bring rail connectivity to Nabarangpur and Malkangiri districts.

With the current rate of progress and political will of the central Government, it is difficult to imagine that the planning commission will approve these two projects in any near future. Hence, innovative action and political will of the state Government are urgently needed to implement these two proposed railway lines in the most backward KBK-Kandhamal region of the state. Your vision and far-sightedness for the railway development of KBK-Kandhamal is solicited.  

For instance, the state Government must provide free land and initial cost as part of 50% sharing cost to start Junagarh-Nabarangpur-Jeypore-Malkangiri and Lanjigarh road-Phulbani-Talcher railway lines for immediate implementation and sanctioning of these two projects by the planning commission.

Therefore, I request you to kindly propose to the Indian Railways to provide free land and 50 % cost sharing of the total cost for the Lanjigarh road-Talcher as well as Junagarh-Nabarangpur-Jeypore-Malkangiri projects which will bring rail connectivity to tribal dominated backward Kandhamal, Nabarangpur and Malkangiri districts and at the same time force the planning commission and Indian Railways to immediately approve and sanction these projects.

Thanking you

With best regards