ECoR bifurcation row: BJD protests Railway MoS visit to Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: BJD on Monday staged a demonstration in front of Rail Auditorium here protesting bifurcation of Waltair division of the East Coast Railway (ECoR) coinciding with the minister of state for railways Manoj Sinha's entry to the auditorium to inaugurate several projects there.

The party’s students’ wing conducted a bike rally in city opposing Sinha’s Odisha visit. Senior BJD leader and MLA Sanjay Kumar Das Burma, who was leading the protest, sat in front of the meeting venue of Sinha and Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan by blocking the main gate. They were shouting slogans like ‘Railway Minister Go Back’ and ‘We cannot tolerate ECoR’s bifurcation’.

Due to the vehement protest, the ministers entered into the venue through the second gate amidst heavy security. Das Burma said the BJP-led central government has announced the formation of South Coast Railway (SCR) without consultation with Odisha. “As the Centre has created the SCoR considering the geographical area of Andhra Pradesh, the similar demand of Odisha should be considered and bring Jharsuguda, Rourkela and other areas into ECoR,” he added.

He said people of the state will resort to economic blockade if the Centre does not reconsider Odisha’s demand.

Sinha clarified that not even a ‘single inch’ of railway line in Odisha has been given to the newly created zone SCoR. “Odisha part of the Waltair division is with ECoR. We are creating a new railway division at Rayagada by taking Waltair division’s 585 km rail line and adding 363 km rail line of other existing divisions of ECoR. This division will look after the development of railway lines in the backward area of the state,” he added.