ROURKELA: Demand for the long-awaited Sundargarh-Jharsuguda-Ambikapur new rail line via Sundargarh received a fresh impetus after three BJP legislators from the district placed the issue before Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw at New Delhi.
In a memorandum, they cited that the proposed 300 km long line would ensure socio-economic growth of multiple backward regions of Odisha, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
Sundargarh MLA Kusum Tete, Talsara legislator Bhawani Shankar Bhoi and Birmitrapur MLA Shankar Oram met the Minister at Delhi where they reiterated the demand for the new rail line.
They said the proposal is of paramount importance to ensure socio-economic growth of the backward tribal regions of the three states with rail connectivity. These regions contribute the highest revenue to the Central exchequer from coal, dolomite and other minerals and also with generation of power. However, these areas lack basic amenities and rail communication.
Urging the Railway Minister to take up the long-pending proposal on priority basis, the three BJP MLAs said laying of about 300 km new rail tracks between Jharsuguda (Odisha) and Ambikapur (Chhattisgarh) via Sundargarh (Odisha), Gumla (Jharkhand), Tapkara and Jashpurnagar (both in Chhattisgarh) would establish the shortest direct rail link to Allahababad, Delhi and beyond.
In July last year, Tete had met the Minister with the same demand. She said all of the three legislators this time urged the Minister to at least make provision for a survey, adding that the Minister assured to include the demand in the next budget.
The Sundargarh district headquarters town lacks rail connectivity as passengers from Sundargarh town and adjacent rural pockets travel 30 to 60 km by road to Jharsuguda station to take trains. Lack of adequate growth of Sundargarh town is also attributed to absence of rail link.
On September 22, 2018 a new rail line of Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd for coal transportation was commissioned between Jharsuguda and Sardega in Hemgir block. With a 40 km extension of track, the Sundargarh town would directly connect the Howarh-Mumbai main of South Eastern Railway at Jharsuguda.
During 2012-13, two surveys were initiated by the Indian Railways on the initiative of then Sundargarh MP and former Chief Minister Hemanand Biswal only to be later consigned to the cold storage.