BHUBANESWAR: Amid tribal unrest over mining in the region, the Ministry of Railways has given its nod for the development of a dedicated railway line connecting the Sijimali and Kutrumali mines to Tikiri station to strengthen the mineral transportation network in the bauxite-rich regions of Rayagada district.
In a notification issued on Tuesday (April 21), the Ministry of Railways accorded ‘Special Railway Project’ status to the new broad gauge (BG) line connecting Tikiri station with the Kutrumali and Sijimali bauxite mines.
The 49 km line, at an estimated cost of `1,146 crore, has been in the planning stage since 2021-22. The final land survey report was submitted in March 2022. The detailed project report was finalised in July the same year, and the Railway Board approved the project for implementation in PPP mode in November last year.
Sources said land acquisition for the project might require a year, while completion of the work could take two years. A traffic survey has already been carried out for the BG line, which will involve forest clearance.
The proposed line currently comes under the Waltair Division of East Coast Railway (ECoR) and is expected to shift to the Rayagada Division when it becomes operational.
The decision has come two weeks after a violent confrontation between tribal villagers and police in Rayagada district over a 2.98 km road linking the state highway to the Sijimali bauxite reserve. The clash had left 70 people, including 58 police personnel, injured.
The tribal and Dalit communities of the region have been up in arms over road and mining projects, citing concerns about displacement and ecological loss.
Opposition political parties questioned the timing of the Railway Ministry’s decision. Leader of the Congress Legislature Party, Rama Chandra Kadam, said it would further escalate tensions in the area. Stating that tribal unrest would increase, he alleged that the Centre and the state government are deliberately creating such a situation.
Two parliamentarians from Odisha - Kalahandi MP Malvika Devi and BJD’s Sasmit Patra - have voiced concerns over bauxite mining in the Sijimali hill region of Rayagada and Kalahandi districts and called for a thorough review of all statutory clearances granted for the projects.