Civil society members and local leaders cutting across party lines have demanded railway connectivity to the Jagatsinghpur district headquarters town.
They have demanded construction of a new railway line from Chhapada to Niali Road connecting the proposed Bhubaneswar-Astaranga rail link.
With a rail link, the people of Naugaon, Balikuda, Jagtsinghpur blocks and residents near river Devi in Cuttack district can directly move to the State capital Bhubaneswar by train covering a comparatively shorter distance while the distance between Bhubaneswar and Paradip port town would be reduced, they said.
Expressing concern over the apathy of the Union Government in terms of railway connectivity to the district headquarters, social activists here had sought intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Union Railway Minister, the Chief Minister and Members of Parliament and MlAs.
“Considering the Union Government’s stance that the Indian railway would be connected to each district of the country, we demand laying of a 25-km railway line between Chhapada to Niali road,” said Saroj Nayak, who is leading a public awareness drive for the purpose.
Meanwhile, a large number of locals have initiated a signature campaign for providing railway network to Jagatsinghpur headquarters.
A memorandum has been sent to the Prime Minister and the Railway Minister in order to draw their attention, informed Jagatsinghpur Municipality Chairman Biplab Choudhury.