Railway connectivity for Jajpur town demanded
JAIPUR: Civil society members, social activists and locals have demanded railway connectivity to the district headquarters town of Jajpur. Hundreds of people under the aegis of Biraja Kshetra Vikas Parishad (BKVP) on Thursday sought construction of a new railway line from Jajpur-Keonjhar Road to Dhamara port in neighbouring Bhadrak district connecting the headquarters town. “Jajpur town, one of the oldest municipalities of the State, lacks railway connectivity even after 71 years of Independence. People of the district headquarters town and its nearby areas have to either travel 30 km to Jajpur Road or 40 km to Bhadrak railway station to board a train,” said BKVP president Tapan Maharanya.
If a new railway line is laid, people of Bari, Binjharpur, Rasulpur and Dasarathapur blocks in the district and two blocks of neighbouring Bhadrak will be benefited directly, he said. Besides, the distance between the district headquarters town and Jajpur Road, the gateway to Kalinga Nagar steel hub, would also be reduced.
People have been demanding railway connectivity to Jajpur town for the past couple of decades. However, successive Union governments have turned a deaf ear to the demand, locals said.“People of Jajpur town have high hopes on Narendra Modi Government at the Centre. They believe that the Union Government would gift them a new railway line via Jajpur town which will serve their purpose,” said Bhaskar Chandra Jena.