ROURKELA: Senior BJP leader Dilip Ray on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought his intervention for creation of a new railway division at Rourkela.
The former union minister also urged the PM for an expeditious expansion of the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) of SAIL and Rourkela airport.
Taking to X, Ray wrote, “Had a fruitful meeting and discussion with Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji today, where I raised three key developmental issues concerning Rourkela and Odisha. Along with submitting formal letters, I had the opportunity to personally emphasise the urgency and importance of these demands for the region’s progress.”
About establishment of a new railway division at Rourkela under the East Coast Railway (ECoR), Ray said the steel city in Sundargarh and its surrounding districts contribute significantly to railway revenue, yet the region remains underserved in terms of infrastructure and passenger services.
“I urged the PM to take immediate steps to create a dedicated railway division, ensuring better administration, improved connectivity and balanced development for Odisha’s mineral belt,” he said.
Ray further said the long-pending `30,000 crore expansion plan of the steel plant has been stalled due to land acquisition hurdles. “I discussed the need for swift resolution so that the plant can double its capacity, create thousands of jobs and strengthen India’s self-reliance in steel production. With the BJP-led government in Odisha, this is the ideal time to remove roadblocks and move forward.”
For upgradation and expansion of Rourkela airport, he said, “Despite being a major industrial, educational and sporting hub, Rourkela still lacks a fully functional airport. I highlighted the need to upgrade the airport to 4C category, extend the runway, install night landing facilities, and bring in more airline operators to ensure reliable air connectivity. Additionally, I requested for urgent transfer of airport ownership from SAIL to Airports Authority of India (AAI) for better management and long-term development.”
Ray said the PM gave a patient hearing and assured that these concerns would be looked into at the highest level.