Plea in Orissa High Court for quashing Rayagada Railway division order

CUTTACK: A PIL Has been filed in Orissa High Court seeking quashing of the Railway Ministry’s order for creation of a new railway division at Rayagada.

The PIL was filed by Berhampur-based Bharatiya Bikash Parishad on Wednesday.  Parishad’s president Surendra Panigrahi sought the High Court’s direction for setting up the new division at Berhampur instead of Rayagada.

The petition claimed that railway division status for Berhampur on the ground that it is the second largest business centre and third largest city in the State. 

Revenue collection of Berhampur is the highest in East Coast Railways. People of Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal districts and some people from Andhra Pradesh depend on the railway station in Berhampur. 

While 162 passenger trains (Up and Down) touch the Berhampur railway station daily, only 10 passenger trains run through Rayagada station, which has very minimum revenue collection, the petition said while challenging the Railway Ministry’s July 17, 2019 order.

There is no rationale for setting up a new railway division at Rayagada as there is no railway division from Khurda division to Visakhapatnam division which covers 500 km. Berhampur’s location - 260 km from Visakhapatnam and 180 km from Khurda division - is ideal for the division, the petition stated. 

On the other hand, Rayagada is situated 80 km from Sambalpur division, the petition further contended.