In Bhubaneswar, the BJD, Congress, Left, and other opposition parties held a dharna in front of the East Coast Railway (ECoR) headquarters on Thursday, calling for the immediate cancellation of the decision to transfer the Palasa-Ichchapuram section to the South Coast Railway (SCoR). The parties emphasized the need to protect Odisha’s interests in the railway sector.
BJD Senior Vice-President Debi Prasad Mishra stated that the regional party is willing to collaborate with like-minded groups to address issues affecting the state. He mentioned that such cooperation among the BJD, Congress, and other parties would persist regarding matters related to Odisha. Mishra highlighted the ongoing concerns about the perceived neglect of Odisha in the railway sector.
Prominent figures participating in the protest included former minister Ranendra Pratap Swain, BJD MLA from Bhubaneswar-North Susant Kumar Rout, and former presidents of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee, Niranjan Patnaik and Prasad Harichandan.
The parties submitted a memorandum to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw via the general manager of ECoR, alleging that the decision to divide the Waltair division was motivated by political factors rather than administrative reasoning. They also accused the Centre and the Railways of adopting a state-centric approach in the organization of railway zones.
Furthermore, the memorandum requested that railway regions in Odisha, such as Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, and Keonjhar under the South Eastern Railway, and Jharsuguda under the South East Central Railway, be reassigned to the East Coast Railway to promote administrative coherence, efficiency, and equity.
