Khurda Balangir Railway line status, a report from Subarnapur

Sonepur: The Khurda Balangir Railway line will be the lifeline of Balangir, Subarnapur, Boudh, Nayagarh and Khurda districts. However, the railway project work is going on at a slow pace in Subarnapur district. Of the required 289 km of this Railway project, 49 km is in Subarnapur district. Out of that 13 km is yet to be constructed.

It has been seen that though the stations are yet to be completed, some of them have started to require renovation. The locals of Subarnapur district are happy to see the train in their close vicinity, but equally doubtful about completion of the project.

The Khurda Balangir Railway line is yet to be completed. At this juncture Kalinga TV team visited the stations and other places related to the project, enquired people about their reaction and asked officials about the development and completion of the project. Here is a report from Subarnapur district that dwells upon the Khurda Balangir Railway line present status in this district.

Origin and aim

The Khurda Balangir Railway line was planned since the time of British rule, say reports. Yet, though a number of years have passed in between the dream is yet to become a reality. The aim of this project was to connect the capital city of Odisha directly with a chain of districts including Balangir and Subarnapur. This railway will be the lifeline of Balangir, Subarnapur, Boudh, Nayagarh and Khurda districts. There will be social and economic development of the area through this connectivity. The scheme received official recognition in 1994-95. The project would have been completed by 2022.

Trail run

Under the Khurda Balangir Railway line, the trial run to many stations has been completed. In the first phase, the trial run from Balangir to Bichhupali was completed. In the second phase, the trial run was completed from Balangir to Jhar Tarbha. The trial run in the third phase was done from Balangir to Khambeshwari Pali.

The local people are now very happy to see train near their villages. However, they are also worried because the stations have already fallen into disrepair before operating. Local residents are concerned about the sustainability of the Khurda Balangir railway project. Reportedly, 80 percent work of this railway project has been completed.

The Khurda-Balangir railway was started to connect the three districts of Western Odisha for communication and transportation. Unfortunately, as much as the people of the surrounding villages were happy to see the train, they are saddened to see the work of the station. Renovation work is going on before the opening. In some places tiles are broken and at some other places the roads have caved in. Due to poor quality of work, the longevity of the station has been questioned. People have expressed their displeasure with the poor quality work of the contractor.

In Subarnapur district

It has been complained that the Khurda Balangir Railway line project work is going on at a slow pace in Subarnapur district. The Khurda-Balangir railway line will run 49 km in Subarnapur district. However, 13 km more is left to be made. For the 49 km railway line in this district 821 acres 448 dec land is required. Even though all the land has been acquired, the project could not progress. A total of 30 revenue villages under 22 tehsils of Sonepur and 8 tehsils of Tarbha are affected by this railway.

People have blamed both the central and state governments for the delay of the project. They have raised voice for the poor quality work. On the other hand, the District Collector avoided the matter by saying that the railway project is of the Central Government.