BJD opposes Centre’s move to split Waltair railway division from ECoR

Bhubaneswar, Jan 5 (PTI) The opposition BJD on Sunday raised concerns over the Centre’s move to delink the Waltair division from the East Coast Railway zone, claiming that the "unilateral" decision would result in "severe economic repercussions for Odisha".
    The party questioned the alleged silence of the state’s BJP government on the “critical” issue.

    The BJD, however, welcomed the establishment of a new railway division at Rayagada, the foundation stone for which will be laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.

    “Delinking the Waltair division, a revenue-generating part, from East Coast Railway, is a move aimed solely at appeasing Andhra Pradesh,” BJD leader Brugu Baxipatra said at a press conference here.

    BJD MLA Rupesh Panigrahi, and former MP Pradeep Majhi, were also present at the press meet.

    They expressed strong reservations about the central government’s move and claimed that the Waltair zone is one of the largest revenue-generating divisions in the ECoR jurisdiction.
    "The decision to split the division and transfer ECoR's key revenue-earning part to the South Coast Railway zone is nothing short of an attempt to appease Andhra Pradesh, particularly its political leadership," Baxipatra said.

    He highlighted the significance of the Waltair division, which covers over 1,052 kilometres of rail routes, including the Kottavalasa-Kirandul (KK) line, one of the country’s biggest freight revenue earners.

    The Waltair division is also home to the largest diesel loco shed in Indian Railways with the capacity to accommodate 300 diesel locomotives.

    As a division that surpassed the 75 million tonne mark in loading and exceeded Rs 10,000 crore in revenue earnings by March 31, 2024, he said.
    The Waltair zone ranked among the top revenue-earning and freight-loading divisions in the country, he added.
    The BJD demanded that Odisha’s regions such as Jareikela, Bandamunda, Rourkela, Jharsuguda, Belpahad, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, and Balasore districts under the South Eastern Railway, be transferred to ECoR to further strengthen the state’s railway infrastructure.
    This shift, the BJD believes, will ensure that Odisha’s interests are protected and will enhance the state’s economic prospects, they said.
    Demanding a comprehensive review of railway zones in the state, the party proposed the creation of a new division in northern Odisha, which would encompass districts like Balasore, Mayurbhanj, and Keonjhar, currently under South Eastern Railway.
    Additionally, the party proposed the establishment of a new Rourkela division to include Jharsuguda and Sundergarh, which are currently part of the Chakradharpur division.
    These measures would contribute to better administration and improved railway services in Odisha, the BJD leaders said.
    Ex-MP Pradeep Majhi criticised the BJP MPs over their "silence" when the Waltair division was separated from ECoR.
    "The state government has remained silent on key issues that impact Odisha," he alleged.
    The earlier decision was to allocate Rs 12,000 crore for the controversial Polavaram project in Andhra Pradesh, despite the adverse consequences it could have on Odisha’s Malkangiri region.
    The BJD also expressed its deep concern over the ongoing trend of the BJP-led central government prioritising the interests of political allies in Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, while Odisha, which has contributed significantly to the BJP-led central government with 20 Lok Sabha MPs, continues to be sidelined, leaders of the regional party claimed.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)