RailEnquiry

CPI (M) activists have decided to take up long and continuous agitation for establishment of a railway wagon factory in Kalahandi district.Speaking to The Hindu from Kalahandi, State secretariat member of the party Ali Kishore Patnaik said this agitation would be taken up in a peaceful manner in front of the Kalahandi Collector’s office and before all railway stations in the district. Date of this agitation would be decided soon.It may be noted that the CPI (M) as well as several other organisations and political parties of Kalhandi district are demanding the Central government and State government for establishment of a railway wagon factory in this underdeveloped district. They allege that due to step motherly attitude a railway wagon factory proposed for Odisha by the Railway Ministry could not get established in Kalahandi. Secretary of Kalahandi district unit of the CPI (M) Naba Patnaik said as Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee had declared for establishment of a railway wagon factory in Odisha. The possible places for the project were Narla in Kalahandi district. But the BJD government preferred to have the project in Ganjam district, which happens to be the home district of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. “It was a sheer neglect of aspirations of underdeveloped people of Kalhandi”, Mr. Naba said.Now the CPI (M) leaders are not demanding relocation of the wagon factory proposed in Ganjam district. They want a second railway wagon factory to be established in Kalhandi district in stead. “We have written letters to both the Centre and State government regarding it”, Mr. Ali Kishore said.