Bhubaneswar: Strongly opposing the recent Union Cabinet decision to operationalise the South Coast Railway (SCoR) zone by bifurcating the Waltair Division, senior Congress leader and former Union minister Srikant Jena on Sunday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to create a railway division in Odisha and integrate four districts presently under the South Eastern Railway (SER).
In a letter to the Prime Minister, the Congress leader expressed concern over Waltair division merging its core area with SCoR. "This decision reflects a state-centric approach to railway restructuring, prioritising the interests of Andhra Pradesh at the cost of Odisha," Jena, also a member of the steering committee, Odisha Congress, said in the letter.
Stating that while Andhra Pradesh can have its railway zone with divisions like Guntur, Vijayawada, and Guntakal, Jena described the bifurcation of ECoR’s Waltair division as "unjust." He said the bifurcation is made by undermining ECoR’s efficiency and stagnating Odisha’s railway development.
"If the government is moving towards state-centric railway zones, then the priority should be to strengthen Odisha’s railway network by integrating the state's districts currently under other zones. I urge you to create a division in Odisha and integrate Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, and Jharsuguda districts—currently under South Eastern Railway (SER)—into ECoR," Jena mentioned in the letter.
Noting that the ECoR has been the highest revenue-generating zone in Indian Railways, with annual revenue exceeding Rs 20,000 crore and an exceptional operating ratio of 47 per cent far below the national average, Jena said the recent decision will significantly weaken ECoR, pushing its financial ranking below the top 10 zones and causing an estimated revenue loss of Rs 10,000 crore annually.
He said the recent decision will lead to stagnation, reduced railway investment, and economic setbacks for Odisha. "I request an immediate review of this restructuring process to ensure that ECoR’s efficiency, revenue potential, and Odisha’s railway infrastructure are not compromised," he said.
He also urged the Primer Minister to reconsider the decision and take corrective measures in the interest of Odisha and ECoR. Earlier, Odisha BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal had said the bifurcation of the Waltair division will not affect the ECoR zone as it will get the newly formed Rayagada division.
