BHUBANESWAR: In an obvious bid to woo about seven lakh people from Odisha, a majority of whom are from Ganjam district, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday demanded introduction of two new daily trains between Berhampur and Surat. Naveen is also likely to visit Surat during the month. However, the date is yet to be finalised.
The Chief Minister raised the issue of introduction of two trains in a letter to Railway Minister Piyush Goyal. “As you may be aware, a large population of about seven lakh people from Odisha are residing in the city of Surat,” Naveen said and added, “Most of them hail from South Odisha, especially Ganjam, and are mainly engaged in power looms, dyeing and printing, diamond cutting and other spheres of trade and commerce.” Naveen had earlier written to Goyal over the issue on August 28.
The Chief Minister said there is no direct train service between Berhampur and Surat. Though there are some trains originating and terminating at other destinations of Odisha and Gujarat, these are not only inconvenient but also inadequate to cater to the requirement of people from Odisha residing in Surat, he said.
In a separate letter to Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu, the Chief Minister reiterated his demand for introduction of a direct flight between Bhubaneswar and Surat. “A large number of Odia people have settled in Surat and are engaged in various spheres of trade, commerce and industry,” he said and added that at present there is no direct air connectivity between Bhubaneswar and Surat. As a result, people of Odisha living in Surat face a lot of difficulties in reaching Odisha in times of urgency, he added.
The Chief Minister said air connectivity between Bhubaneswar and Surat will not only cater to the requirement of people from Odisha but also increase tourist inflow to both the places. “I would once again request you to look into the genuine demand of the people of Odisha residing in Surat and impress upon Air India and other private Airlines to introduce direct flights between Bhubaneswar and Surat at the earliest,” he said.
Besides, in a letter to his Gujarat counterpart Vijay Rupani, the Chief Minister requested for allotment of one acre of land for the establishment of a community centre in Surat for people from Odisha. The government of Odisha is planning to establish a community centre in Surat to meet the requirements of Odia community for their social celebrations, he said and added the proposed complex will serve as a nerve centre of cultural exchange between Odisha and Gujarat.
Boosting ties