BHUBANESWAR: The Ministry of Railways has asked East Coast Railway (ECoR) to nominate a nodal officer to prepare modalities for making the new Rayagada division operational.
The direction came in the wake of the approval for a new zone ‘South Coast Railway (SCoR)’ having headquarters at Visakhapatnam.
Even as the detailed project report for formation of the new zone is under progress, R Dhananjayulu has been posted as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) of SCoR by the Railway Board.
Executive Director (Efficiency and Research) of Railway Board Jeetendra Singh has directed ECoR General Manager Vidya Bhushan to nominate a nodal officer, who will work out various modalities required for setting up and operationalising the new Rayagada division.
“The nodal officer will coordinate with present Waltair division, ECoR headquarters and OSD of SCoR while working out the modalities. The modalities for setting up the new division need to be completed by August 31,” the letter to ECoR GM stated.
Earlier, Waltair division with ECoR will be split into two and one part of it will merge with Vijaywada division and be incorporated in SCoR.
The remaining portion of Waltair will form a new division having its headquarters at Rayagada under the ECoR.
Waltair division has 1106 km and it is being bifurcated between Rayagada and Vijaywada.
After the bifurcation, Odisha’s share of 585 km railway lines that were in Waltair division will come under Rayagada division along with another 363 km railway lines that will be added in the latter for development of the backward region.
Major revenue-earning portions of erstwhile Waltair division like Bailadila mines of Kirandul and Bacheli will continue to remain with Rayagada division along with some areas, including Araku of north Andhra Pradesh.
The new SCoR railway zone will comprise Guntakal, Guntur and Vijaywada divisions.