Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Legislative Assembly on Wednesday witnessed a heated exchange between the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the proposed bifurcation of the Waltair Railway Division.
During the Zero Hour, senior BJD leader Ranendra Pratap Swain alleged a conspiracy to merge Waltair Railway Division with the South Central Railway Zone based in Vijayawada. He claimed that Odisha could suffer a financial loss of Rs 20,000 crore if the division is shifted.
“The Centre has issued a confidential record regarding the bifurcation of the Waltair Division. Odisha stands to incur huge losses unless a clear vision document and adequate compensation are provided. If our state suffers, we will protest as Odias and as a regional party. This is extremely unfortunate,” Swain stated.
In response, Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo dismissed the claims, assuring the House that no railway line from Odisha would be moved to another state. He emphasised that the Centre has allocated Rs 23,000 crore for railway development in Odisha, including an Rs 107 crore tender for establishing a special railway division in Rayagada.
“East Coast Railway will continue to have three divisions as it does now, with no revenue loss. Why were BJD MPs silent when the UPA government was setting up the South Division? Now they are making a fuss and creating unnecessary drama,” Singh Deo retorted.
Meanwhile, Speaker Surama Padhy adjourned the House sine die on Wednesday evening, 18 days ahead of schedule. The Winter Session, which began on November 26, conducted legislative business for only 12 days. Key decisions included passing an Rs 12,156 crore supplementary budget.
