RailEnquiry

The stage is set for one of the most expensive rallies, christened Swabhiman rally, by the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in New Delhi on Wednesday to demand special category State status for Odisha.The seven special trains booked by the party to transport workers for the rally will cost a whopping Rs 2 crore. According to a spokesman of the East Coast Railway (ECoR), a special train will cost between Rs 25 lakh and Rs 30 lakh.The final cost will depend on  coach composition, number of AC coaches, number of stoppages, kilometres travelled from the originating point to New Delhi and halting hours in New Delhi, he said.While six of the special trains were provided by the ECoR, the seventh, which left from Rourkela, was from the South Eastern Railway (SER). The special trains left from Puri, Cuttack, Jajpur Road, Berhampur, Koraput, Sambalpur and Rourkela. The BJD sources said 10,700 leaders and workers travelled in these trains for the rally.Besides, 200 buses have been hired at New Delhi to transport people from outskirts of the National Capital Region (NCR) to Ramlila Grounds for the rally. Party managers said 22 dharamsalas and official residences of party MPs have been arranged to house the visiting party activists at Delhi.This apart, about 5,000 people will stay put at Ramlila Maidan, the venue.

However, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and other ministers did not use the trains, but flew to New Delhi.  As most of the ministers are at New Delhi, SC-ST Welfare Minister Lalbihari Himirika and Minister of State for Higher Education Badrinarayan Patro have been stationed at Bhubaneswar to look after the routine work of the Government.