BARIPADA: Rajya Sabha member Mamata Mohanta, along with a seven-member delegation of the BJP met Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in New Delhi on Friday to discuss issues concerning railway connectivity in northern Odisha.
During the meeting, the delegation requested the regularisation of the Bhanjpur-Baripada-Puri special trains, with the addition of at least two general coaches and a few sleeper coaches to accommodate rising passenger demand. They also urged the introduction of a new daily train service between Baripada and Puri in view of the increasing public demand.
On the infrastructure front, the delegation demanded the opening of a reservation counter at Bhanjpur railway station and construction of a new waiting hall with improved facilities at Baripada station.
They also proposed installing statues of Maharaja Shriram Chandra Bhanjdeo at both Baripada and Rairangpur railway stations, which would serve as cultural landmarks and spaces for morning prayers.
The delegation, which included BJP spokesperson Kavi Vishnu Satpathy and senior party leaders Laxmidhar Haboda, Vijay Kumar Das, Gyan Ranjan Jena, Tarun Kumar Palababu, and Vikas Ranjan Barik, held detailed discussions with Vaishnaw on the need to strengthen and regularise train services between Baripada and Puri.
The union minister assured the delegation that all the issues would be looked into seriously, with appropriate steps taken to address the demands.