Bhubaneswar: Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Srikant Jena on Sunday demanded immediate steps by the Centre bring Odisha districts like Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh and Jharsuguda under the jurisdiction of East Coast Railway (ECoR).
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress leader said that the recent Union Cabinet decision to operationalise the South Coast Railway (SCoR) zone by bifurcating the Waltair Division and merging its core area with SCoR is a move that prioritises Andhra Pradesh’s interests at the expense of Odisha.
This decision lacks operational and financial justification, weakening the ECoR and stagnating Odisha’s railway development, he said.
ECoR is one of the highest revenue-generating railway zones, contributing over Rs 20,000 crore annually with an exceptional operating ratio of 47%. However, the bifurcation of Waltair Division will result in an estimated revenue loss of Rs 10,000 crore per year, pushing ECoR out of the top-performing zones and reducing railway investment in Odisha.
If the government is restructuring railways based on state boundaries, then Odisha deserves its own fully integrated railway network. “The central government must take corrective steps by integrating districts like Baleswar, Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, and Jharsuguda—currently under South Eastern Railway (SER)—into ECoR to ensure Odisha’s railway growth and economic stability,” said Jena.
“I urge you to create a division in Odisha and integrate Baleswar, Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, and Jharsuguda districts—currently under South Eastern Railway (SER)—into ECoR,” the former Union Minister said.
