Rourkela: Raghunathpali MLA Durga Charan Tanty has written to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw about the establishment of a separate railway division for Rourkela that would serve as a catalyst for regional development.
In his letter, Tanty said, “We believe that this initiative is essential for the interest of resourceful Keonjhar district (130km away from Rourkela) and Jharsuguda district (120km away) in the western part of Odisha, which falls under Sambalpur revenue division,” Tanty said in the letter. “The region is richly blessed with vast industrial and commercial opportunities. The establishment of a railway division in Rourkela will significantly enhance connectivity and facilitate freight movement, thereby promoting economic growth and development of the state,” Tanty added. The lawmaker is hopeful that the proposed division would serve as a catalyst for regional development, creating job opportunities and improving infrastructure. “We are optimistic that our request will receive your favourable consideration during the 2024-2025 fiscal,” the letter said. At present, Rourkela comes under Chakradharpur railway division which extends for 741.70km.
Out of this, 335.78km falls in Jharkhand and the remaining 405.90km in Odisha. Tanty claimed that it is the stretch in Odisha that is contributing majorly to Railway funds. “Rourkela is under CKP division and is contributing more than 40 per cent of the total revenue. Hence, Rourkela should be a separate division. Land and infrastructure won’t be a problem,” said Tanty.
In his letter, Tanty claimed that Bondamunda maintenance yard here is the second largest in Asia. Sufficient Railway land is also available. If the Rourkela railway division is formed, the tracks will cover 1,000km including parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, he said. “The tracks will pass through areas that are rich in mineral resources like coal, iron ore, limestone and dolomite. Also, a large number of steel and cement industries are present in these localities. Hence, the revenue of the Rourkela division will be quite substantial and will also be profitable for the Railways,” Tanty stated in his letter.