Station opening kicks up a storm after BJD leaders skip event

BHUBANESWAR: The Bhubaneswar New station was inaugurated by Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday but the event triggered a political storm after BJD leaders gave it a miss. Odisha ministers, local MPs and MLAs didn't turn up for the inauguration ceremony of Bhubaneswar New station and other railway projects here on Saturday.

Culture minister Ashok Chandra Panda (Bhubaneswar-Ekamra MLA), transport minister Nrusingha Charan Sahu (Parjang MLA), Bhubaneswar MP Prasanna Patsani, Bhubaneswar Central MLA Bijay Mohanty and Bhubaneswar North MLA Priyadarshi Mishra skipped the event.

Speculation is rife that the leaders deliberately avoided the railway event. East Coast Railway (ECoR) sources said the ministers, local MPs and MLAs were invited for the inauguration ceremony but they did not attend the meeting.

"We don't know the reason behind their absence," said a senior railway official. The event was attended by Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan, ECoR general manager Umesh Singh and other railway officials.

Pradhan said the railways had invited the state leaders. "It is not my personal ceremony. This event was dedicated to people. Presence of state ministers, local MPs and MLAs in such event is necessary because their role is to deliver our message to the state government," he added. Culture minister Panda said he had received an invitation regarding the event on Friday evening. "I had several development works in my constituency. So I was busy in that work on Saturday," he added. He criticized the Railways for not signing the MoU with state government for redevelopment of the station building at Bhubaneswar.

Transport minister Sahu said the railway authorities have not informed him over telephone. "My family members telephoned me about receiving an invitation letter on Friday evening. I was preoccupied with several works in my constituency. I could not attend on such a short notice. The railways invited us in such a way that we don't attend it," he added.

MLA Priyadarsi Mishra said there is no point to attend the meeting where the Centre does not pay heed to our states interest. Congress state president Niranjan Patnaik said it was not correct on the part of state leaders to skip programmes meant for people's welfare.

Bhubaneswar New is the city's second major railway station, 14 km from Bhubaneswar station. It will be used as satellite station. Most South-bound trains will start from here to reduce pressure on the main station at Master Canteen which witnesses around 140 trains daily.

Dharmendra also inaugurated a MEMU maintenance shed at Khurda Road and a booking counter at Bagala Dharmasala in Puri through videoconferencing. He flagged off a new Angul-Puri MEMU train and travelled in it from Bhubaneswar New to Bhubaneswar station to inaugurate a foot overbridge there. A mobile app, ECOR Yatra, developed by ECoR was launched to provide information regarding trains during Rath Yatra and other facilities.