Cong MP Ulaka urges Centre to act on pending rail projects in Koraput region
Koraput: Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, the Congress MP from Koraput, raised demands regarding long-pending railway projects in southern Odisha, urging the Centre to act swiftly to improve connectivity and unlock the regions development potential.
Speaking in Lok Sabha during Zero Hour, Ulaka called for immediate publication of the notification establishing the Rayagada railway division, introduction of a new daytime Koraput-Bhubaneswar express train via Rayagada and extension of the Bhubaneswar-Visakhapatnam Vande Bharat Express up to Koraput.
“These are not new demands, they are critical, justified and essential for the people of southern Odisha,” Ulaka said. He noted that the Rayagada railway division was announced eight years ago and the foundation stone for the division was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Jan, yet the absence of a formal notification has left it non-functional.
“Because the division has not been notified, decisions continue to be taken remotely by the Waltair division in Visakhapatnam,” he added.
The MP said no review meetings are being held for the Rayagada division and apart from the appointment of a divisional railway manager, the newly inaugurated office lacks essential departments such as engineering, electrical and signalling and telecommunication, making it incapable of functioning as an independent division.
The Rayagada railway division will cover districts like Rayagada, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, Gajapati and Kalahandi in Odisha, as well as Kirandul in neighboring Chhattisgarh, Ulaka said.
The Congress MP also emphasised the need for a daytime train from Koraput to Bhubaneswar via Rayagada, arguing that it would greatly ease the hardships faced by students, patients and regular commuters.
Speaking in Lok Sabha during Zero Hour, Ulaka called for immediate publication of the notification establishing the Rayagada railway division, introduction of a new daytime Koraput-Bhubaneswar express train via Rayagada and extension of the Bhubaneswar-Visakhapatnam Vande Bharat Express up to Koraput.
“These are not new demands, they are critical, justified and essential for the people of southern Odisha,” Ulaka said. He noted that the Rayagada railway division was announced eight years ago and the foundation stone for the division was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Jan, yet the absence of a formal notification has left it non-functional.
“Because the division has not been notified, decisions continue to be taken remotely by the Waltair division in Visakhapatnam,” he added.
The MP said no review meetings are being held for the Rayagada division and apart from the appointment of a divisional railway manager, the newly inaugurated office lacks essential departments such as engineering, electrical and signalling and telecommunication, making it incapable of functioning as an independent division.
The Rayagada railway division will cover districts like Rayagada, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, Gajapati and Kalahandi in Odisha, as well as Kirandul in neighboring Chhattisgarh, Ulaka said.
The Congress MP also emphasised the need for a daytime train from Koraput to Bhubaneswar via Rayagada, arguing that it would greatly ease the hardships faced by students, patients and regular commuters.
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