BHUBANESWAR: The decision of the Railways Ministry to remove the profit-making Waltair division from ECoR and merge it with the newly-formed South Coast Railway found resonance in the Assembly on Wednesday with the Opposition BJD and Congress demanding a clarification from CM Mohan Charan Majhi on the issue.
Raising the issue during zero hour, BJD member Ranendra Pratap Swain and CLP leader Ramachandra Kadam said ECoR will lose annual revenue of about Rs 10,000 crore after the Waltair division is delinked from it. Swain targeted Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw over the issue and demanded a statement from Majhi to clarify on the present situation.
“I feel ashamed that we voted for a man who has been working against Odisha’s interest after becoming Railway Minister,” he said.
Swain demanded that the Waltair division be merged with the proposed Rayagada division instead of being included in the South Coast Railway zone. Kadam threatened that the Congress will launch an agitation if the Waltair division is taken out from ECoR.
Deputy CM KV Singh Deo said under the BJP government at the Centre different railway projects worth Rs 73,000 crore are being implemented in the state. While Waltair division is getting delinked, ECoR is getting a new Rayagada division, he said.