The much-awaited rail link between Talcher and Bimalagarh is still neglected by both the State and the Union Governments, alleged the Talcher-Bimalagarh Rail Link Action Committee here.
According to committee president Adwaita Prasad Biswal, the demand for Talcher-Bimlagarh Rail link (TBRL) was initiated 53 years back. After much hue and cry and intensive public agitation, the project of 149.743 km was approved by the Union Cabinet in 2003-04 and the Railway Ministry decided to construct the rail line. But unfortunately, after 16 years, 50 percent of the land acquisition work is pending and the budgetary sanction to the project is very feeble in comparison to other projects, he told.
Biswal alleged that while last year budgetary sanction for the project was more than Rs 280 crore, but this year it got reduced to Rs 140 crore. Despite this, Biswal said he was sceptical about the expenditure of allocated money as there was sluggish move by the State Government for land acquisition.
He said still half of the land required was to be handed over by the State Government to the Railways. He further said while the State Government was working hard to provide land for Khurda-Balangir railway project free of cost but for the Talcher-Bimalgarh project, the Railways had already deposited money with the State Government for compensation against acquiring the land.
However, despite this there has been inordinate delay in land acquisition by the district administrations of Angul, Deogarh and Sundargarh.
He added that if the State Government and district administrations showed sincere interest to hand over the unused land of the Government then about 2/3rd required land would be acquired.
But despite the instructions from the Private Secretary of the CM to the concerned district Collectors, these works are not completed. On the other hand, taking the plea of land acquisition, the budgetary allocation by the Union Government has been reduced, Biswal lamented.
According to him after forest land clearance about 562 acres of private land and 163 acres of Government land acquisition was pending. He said though the project target was March, 2022, now it was extended to December, 2023.
Briefing on the project and further course of action noted tread union leader Bishnu Mohanty said the action committee would be making a coordination with the State Government to arrange a joint meeting of the three district administrations, railway authorities, people’s representative of the areas through which the rail line to be passed and the action committee members would make a target oriented guideline for early acquisition of land. Besides, the committee involving the local people will meet the three district Collectors to persuade them to acquire the land by March of this year and if they failed, then the action committee would resort to agitation.
Rourkela Steel Plant Executive Association president Bimal Bisi said with the completion of the rail project, the Rourkela Steel Plant would save about Rs 100 crore per year in transportation of coal.
It may be noted here that with the construction of the Talcher-Bimalagarh rail line, the rail distance between Rourkela and Cuttack will be shortened by 120 km. Among others, action committee members Harihar Routray, Rourkela Bar Association president Ramesh Bal, Biman Maity and Srimanta Behera were present.
