BALANGIR: Several organisations of Balangir, led by Rail Sangharsha Samiti, on Sunday demanded immediate construction of the Khurda-Balangir rail line. The members said even 28 years after the foundation stone of the project was laid by the government in 1994, Balangir is yet to get a direct train connecting it to the capital city.
“If the 300 km direct line from Balangir to Bhubaneswar is constructed, the city can be reached in about five hours. In absence of it, we are made to pass through Bargarh, Sambalpur, Angul, Dhenkanal and Cuttack before reaching Bhubaneswar,” the members said.
Only a 15 km rail line has been laid from Balangir to Bichupali station which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Balangir in 2019.
“Even after its assurance to complete the project by 2023-24, not a single station has been added to the project by the government beyond Bichupali. Such is the callous attitude of the administration that it has failed to connect Balangir to Subarnapur which is just 50 km away from it,” the members lamented.
The organisations said constructing a rail line directly to Bhubaneswar will help the area prosper economically. Since their long-standing demand has not yet been met, people are now gradually moving into the fold of the Koshal movement. Action committee convenor Gopalji Panigrahi said, if the demands are not fulfilled soon, the members will stage protests.