BARGARH: Bargarh MP Pradip Purohit on Monday met Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and expressed his regret over the delay in commencement of Nuapada-Bargarh railway line.
Purohit submitted a letter in which he drew attention of Vaishnaw towards the proposed railway line from Nuapada to Bargarh and said the project has been overlooked in the budget.
He said the project is crucial for enhancing regional connectivity and is the lifeline of the region for economic development, trade and commerce.
“I had met you and submitted a memorandum regarding the project and you had assured that it would receive Cabinet and government approval. However, to my utter surprise, the six other projects in Odisha have been given clearance, while the Nuapada-Bargarh project has been neglected/ignored,” the letter said.
During the Padampur by-election in 2022 and the general election this year, the proposed project was a significant poll promise and commitments and announcements were made by the BJP leaders that the railway line would materialise when the BJP comes to power in Odisha.
Being a prominent leader of Padampur, Purohit claimed that the people of the locality had voted in his favour as they held faith in him. However, now there is widespread disappointment and he is receiving flak from the people of Bargarh constituency due to the delay in the project.
“At this juncture, it has become difficult to sustain the wrath of the public. This issue may be treated as most important and urgent,” he added.