ROURKELA: The demand to improve train connectivity to north Odisha districts from Rourkela and extension of the 15028 Gorakhpur-Hatia Maurya Express till Rourkela is gaining ground from many quarters. As part of a sustained campaign, members of the Rail Bikash Samanvyay Samiti (RBSS) on Saturday held a demonstration in front of the Rourkela railway station and sent a memorandum to the Railway Minister for improving train connectivity to north Odisha.
Samiti leader Sadanand Sahoo said they have started sending copies of the memorandum to Odisha chief minister, MPs and MLAs of the affected districts including Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayubhanj and Jajpur and a massive signature campaign would start in a couple of days. “A delegation of the RBSS would leave for Delhi on August 7 to meet the railway minister and other ministers and MPs from Odisha to mobilise support for the introduction of a direct train from Rourkela to north Odisha and beyond via Chakradharpur, Keonjhar and Jajpur Road,” he said.
The Utkal Express is the only available option which covers the north Odisha districts after travelling long distance through Jharkhand and West Bengal and the passengers of the affected districts continue to face harassment with odd timing, unavailability of tickets and frequent cancellation, he further stated.
Meanwhile, general secretary of UDBHAV, a forum for integrated development and mass awareness, VP Tiwari said people of Rourkela and nearby regions have plan for a demonstration two days later and send memorandum to the railway minister for extension of the Maurya Express from Hatia to Rourkela.
Citing RTI replies from the SER, Tiwari claimed the proposals for extension of the 18110 Jammu-Tawi Express and the 15028 Gorakhpur-Hatia Maurya Express to Rourkela from Hatia were simultaneously placed with feasibility reports in 2011. But, the Jammu-Tawi Express was extended to Rourkela and the Maurya Express’ proposal was rejected many times in past 12 years on flimsy grounds of punctuality or route congestion or commercial feasibility. “Commercial viability for extension of the train has further increased manifold in 12 years, while the track doubling between Rourkela and Hatia also completed,” he stated.