Navajyoti Demands for Balasore Railways Division
Navajyoti Demands for Balasore Railways Division
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Balasore: Navajyoti Patnaik, a senior Congress official, has requested newly appointed Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to establish a new Railway Division in Balasore District, where she previously served as District Collector.
“Since Balasore is the commercial capital of Northern Odisha, Railways must consider establishment of a Railway Division in Balasore District. It will help fuel industrial growth and generate employment in Northern Odisha. Railway infrastructure is critical for realising this dream,” Mr.Patnaik wrote to the Railway Minister.
He also asked Mr. Vaishnaw to build three additional railway lines in north Odisha to help the state's economy and create jobs. Patnaik suggested railway lines between Balasore and Nilgiri, Jaleswar and Digha, and Rupsa and Bangirposhi.
The region would be connected to the economic and industrial hub of Northern Odisha, Balasore, if the Balasore-Nilgiri railway line is revived and extended to Keonjhar, he said.
Similarly, Navajyoti pressed for the Jaleswar–Digha railway line, claiming that the Jaleswar–Digha area is notable for its ancient temples that have been buried beneath the rubble of neglect. This area has the potential to serve as a spiritual and tourist destination.
“Without transport and connectivity, the most beautiful of places remain confined to post cards and textbooks. That is why Railways is critical in realizing this dream. Also, since this area is affected by seasonal floods, a Railway line would be a force multiplier during relief efforts,” Mr.Patnaik stated.
Mr. Patnaik told the Union Minister that the projected Rupsa–Bangirposhi railway line will connect this region to Odisha and the rest of India while offering amazing growth potential in this belt. Mayurbhanj (Odisha), Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), and West Midnapore are among the cities it will pass through (West Bengal).
Mr. Patnaik wrote the letter in the hopes of being able to do credit to Odisha's enormous potential through the extension of the state's railway network.
“We are aware of your accomplished career and your work during the Super Cyclone in Odisha in 1999. We feel a sense of joy at your elevation, because someone like you, who has the experience of having worked on-ground in Odisha, and who has a thorough understanding of the State and its potential, is in a perfect position to benefit the State from a position of power and decision making,” he added.
