Posts filed under ‘Rail Wagon Factory, Kalahandi’
A railway maintenance workshop to come up at Narla, Kalahandi
BHUBANESWAR: The provision of setting up a railway maintenance workshop at Narla in Kalahandi in the Railway Budget evoked mixed reactions here. While some sections of people said a wagon factory would have generated more employment, others expressed satisfaction at the railway ministry’s decision.
The Kalahandi Swabhiman Jagaran Sangha, an outfit which has been pressing for a wagon factory, felt disappointed at the decision to set up a maintenance workshop instead. President of the outfit Badri Narayan Patnaik said they would again press for a wagon factory. “We will again move the railway ministry through Kalahandi MP Bhakta Das to demand a wagon factory,” he said.
In 2010, then Union railway minister Mamata Banerjee proposed a wagon factory to be set up in Odisha. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik had recommended Ganjam for the factory. The railway ministry subsequently decided to set up the wagon factory at Ganjam.
“Kalahandi, which is considerably more backward than Ganjam, deserves a wagon factory,” said Patnaik. Earlier, the Narla Rail Wagon Nirman Sangram Samiti in Kalahandi had also demanded a wagon factory to be set up at Narla.
“We are happy that Kalahandi found a mention in the budget but we would have been doubly happy had the wagon factory been set up here,” said Congress state coordinator of schedule caste cell Debi Prasad Sindoor. He, however, attacked Naveen for delaying the land identification process, which is why, according to him, the wagon factory went to Ganjam. Narla has enough land for a wagon factory, he said. Kalahandi MP Bhakta Das had also accused Naveen of showing apathy towards identifying the land at Narla.
Odisha govt. offers land to set up a wagon factory in Kalahandi
Odisha government today offered to provide land for establishment of a railway wagon factory in tribal dominated Kalahandi district, official sources said. Indian Railway, which had already sanctioned Rs 1 crore for establishment of the first wagon factory at Sitalapalli in Ganjam district during 2012-13 fiscal, had also indicated that it would not hesitate to construct another such project if the state government provides land.
“Responding to the Indian Railways, the state government had already identified land to set up the second wagon factory in Kalahandi district,” the official said. A railway wagon factory in the undeveloped and tribal dominated district like Kalahandi, would certainly help boost the economic condition of the local people. The state government would provide all assistance for establishment of the wagon factory in Kalahandi, chief minister Naveen Patnaik said.
Kalahandi jagaran manch demand rail wagon factory and medical college
Following is a report from the Sambad:
Western Odisha not priority for CM: Kosal Kranti Dal (KKD)
Following report is from The Pioneer:
Kosal Kranti Dal (KKD) secretary general Baidyanath Mishra on Wednesday targeted Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik as being Bhubaneswar-centric and not at all caring for western Odisha. He said that wester Odisha was not a priority for the CM.
Mishra told reporters here that the progress of work on the Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT) at Rourkela is still sluggish even eight long years after its foundation. A couple of months back, local MLA and Minister Sarada Prasad Nayak had promised for commencement of the BPUT construction work, but it has been stopped without rhyme or reason, Mishra said.
The BPUT, which is managing more than 150 professional colleges, only has a makeshift office at the UGIE that has become a dumping yard of sacks and trunks of examination paper. The vice-chancellor and a finance officer, along with some junior executives, are running the show.
The university land in the Chhend area is gradually encroached upon by unauthorised persons as there is none to protect the land, Mishra pointed out.
So, he said, an early review of the BPUT’s progress by the Chief Minister is required so that appropriate steps are taken before its head office is finally shifted to Bhubaneswar much to “the delight of a Bhubaneswar-centric Chief Minister,” Mishra said.
On the Western Odisha Development Council; (WODC)-sponsored medical college and hospital, he urged the Government to take steps for getting the Medical Council of India’s (MCI) nod to a hi-tech medical college at Rourkela so that local aspirant students can take admission in MBBS and BDS courses. He also urged the Government to spell out the actual percentage of seat reservation made for the students of western Odisha nativity.
Mishra said Rourkela is deprived of the Commissionerate-II of the Central Excise for the last 14 years. Like the WODC headquarters in Bhubaneswar, some vested interests in the State capital are trying their best to retain this Commissionerate-II office in Bhubaneswar though the July 22, 1997 notification made it clear that the headquarters of the Bhubaneswar-II Commissionerate would be shifted to Rourkela as its jurisdiction is western Odisha.
If these demands are not heeded by the Government, the KKD would have no other option than to launch agitation, he threatened.
Mishra also demanded passenger air line facility for Jharsuguda and Rourkela and an ESIC Medical College in Sundargarh district. He said the State Government should demand another rail coach factory to be set up at Narla, Kalahandi, as promised by former Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee. This was hijacked by Naveen Patnaik elsewhere. Similarly, the Government must take early steps to start a medical college at Balangir at its own initiative.
Mishra said that from July 8 to15 a fact-finding team of the KKD would be touring various parts of western Odisha. Among others, KKD working president Sagar Singh Manki, Rourkela unit president Rama Chandra Amat and founder-member Surama Mishra were present at the news conference.
Balangir MP Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo bats for rail wagon unit at Kantabanji
Following report is from The Pioneer:
Balangir MP Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo has demanded setting up the rail wagon manufacturing unit at Kantabanji in the district in view of availability of land and the economic backwardness of the area.
In a letter to Chairman, Railway Board, Vivek Sahai on June 16, Sing Deo has urged him to set up the unit at Kantabanji as land is available there which was donated by late RN Singhdeo during pre-Independence period.
“My grandfather late Maharaja RN Singh Deo had donated his personal land of approximate 400 acres for establishing the railway factory at Kantabanji. Since the land was donated for the purpose of the unit, it should be returned if the purpose is not met,” Singh Deo pointed out.
The land acquisition process is a highly sensitive and time taking exercise. It is also likely that the Railways could fall under criticism for acquisition of more land when it already has substantial land in its possession at Kantabanji for the wagon manufacturing unit, Singh Deo argued.
Moreover, a reply under an RTI application dated April 21, 2010 reveals that a total of 125 acres of vacant land at Kantabanji is currently in the possession of the Railways.
Agitation intensifies demanding rail wagon factory in Kalahandi
Following are some recent reports on this issue:
http://www.orissadiary.com/ShowDistrictNews.asp?id=25784
http://www.tathya.in/news/story.asp?sno=5133
http://www.dailypioneer.com/329493/Wagon-unit-Cong-launches-stir-across-Kalahandi.html
http://www.dailypioneer.com/329582/MLA-holds-demo-in-Assembly-premises-for-rail-wagon-factory.html
http://telegraphindia.com/1110406/jsp/orissa/story_13814102.jsp
http://expressbuzz.com/states/orissa/congress-legislator-stages-dharna/262779.html
Move to shift rail wagon factory from Kalahandi sparks resentment among the locals
Following report is from The Pioneer:
Of late, the people of Kalahandi district are an apprehensive lot after getting the information that the proposed rail wagon industry promised by Railway Minister Mamata Banarjee is likely to be shifted from the district to Ganjam.
According to sources, the Railway Minister has assured local MP Bhakta Charan Das to set up rail wagon industry in the district in Parliament but other sources said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, meanwhile, has written a letter to Mamata Banerjee proposing to set up rail wagon industry in Ganjam district.
Kalahandi is one of the country’s most poverty-stricken districts. Huge funds pumped in for development of poor have not yielded fruitful results.
The political leadership as the past is now suspected again to fail to bring the rail wagon factory like the Central University was shifted from Kalahandi to Koraput.
The Chief Minister during his visit to Kalahandi recently was presented with a memorandum by the aggrieved political parties, intellectual forums, different organisations, demanding to recommend the Central Government to set up the proposed rail wagon industry in the district.
However, sources said the Chief Minister has not yet taken any steps on the demand of the locals and this has triggered resentment and a feeling that the district again will be betrayed.
Kosal Discussion and Development Forum 