*Amid the political uproar over creation of South Coast Railway (SCoR) zone, carving it out of East Coast Railway (ECoR) and South Central Railway (SCR), a committee constituted by the Railway Board has recommended not to close down the contentious Waltair division.*
As proposed in the detailed project report (DPR) of SCoR zone, Waltair division, now under ECoR was to be split into two parts with one merging with Vijayawada division and the other converting into a new division headquartered at Rayagada.
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While the SCoR zone was proposed to have three divisions - Vijayawada, Guntur and Guntakal spreading across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, ECoR zone is also to have three divisions - Khurda Road, Sambalpur and Rayagada, confined to Odisha, after the bifurcation.
The SAG committee constituted to review the DPR and look into the public demands of both Odisha and Andhra Pradesh has, however, recommended to retain the truncated Waltair division after splitting it into two parts with some administrative adaptations. The recommendations are awaiting the nod of the central cabinet.
According to the committee recommendations (accessed by The New Indian Express), around 565 km will fall within the jurisdiction of the truncated Waltair division and the rest 541 km will come under Rayagada division after the bifurcation. The Waltair division comprises around 1,106 route km.
The committee may have recommended against the closure of Waltair and advised an optimum staff strength of 105 gazetted and 780 non-gazetted officers for the new zone, but the demands of Odisha for inclusion of Kothavalasa-Kirandul Line and merger of major revenue earning railway lines of the state, now under other zones, with ECoR have reportedly been overlooked. What has left many perplexed is that the foundation stones have been laid for SCoR zonal headquarters and Rayagada divisional headquarters even before their respective boundaries are finalised. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the stones for both the projects earlier this week.
“The railway committee recommended retaining Waltair as per the demands of Andhra Pradesh, but surprisingly the demands of Odisha to merge the state’s railway portions, now under South Eastern Railway (SER) and South East Central Railway (SECR), with ECoR were not considered,” sources said.
Even as the DPR is pending for approval and a formal notification on commencement of the new zone is awaited since 2019, the matter was expedited this year only after the general elections. While BJP returned to power in Odisha, it is a part of the AP government formed in alliance with TDP and JSP.
Sources said while 11 parliamentary assurances are pending on the issues involving creation of SCoR zone and Rayagada division, they cannot be resolved unless a specific decision is taken on the DPR and the recommendations for setting up the new zone and division.
The formation of the South Coast Railway (SCoR) zone, bifurcation of the Waltair division, and creation of the Rayagada division are still posing challenges for the Railway Board. The MOR and the PMO are struggling to balance the interests of both Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, or rather ECoR & SCoR
The Waltair division is being split into two parts, with one part merging with the Vijayawada division under SCoR, and the remaining portion becoming the new Rayagada division under ECoR. This development has sparked unrest among other regions under the South Central Railway (SCR) that are slated to be bifurcated to SCoR, with some areas starting a silent agitation to withdraw this order.
The Railway Board is facing a daunting task in reconciling the competing demands and interests of various stakeholders. The situation remains delicate, with the board striving to find a balance that satisfies all parties involved.
please wait...Translate to HindiSouth Coast Railway (SCoR) zone banane ke siyasi shor-sharal ke beech, East Coast Railway (ECoR) aur South Central Railway (SCR) se ise alag karne ke baad, Railway Board dwara banayi gayi ek committee ne Waltair division ko band karne ki salah nahi di hai.
jaisa ki SCoR zone ki detailed project report (DPR) mein propose kiya gaya tha, Waltair division, jo ab ECoR ke andar hai, ko do hisson mein baant kar ek hissa Vijayawada division mein mila diya jayega aur dusra hissa Rayagada mein ek nayi division banayega.
SCoR zone mein teen division hone the - Vijayawada, Guntur aur Guntakal, jo Andhra Pradesh aur Telangana mein hai, aur ECoR zone mein bhi teen division - Khurda Road, Sambalpur aur Rayagada, jo Odisha mein hai.
DPR review karne aur Odisha aur Andhra Pradesh ki public demands ko dekhne wali SAG committee ne, do hisson mein baantne ke baad, kuch administrative changes ke saath, Waltair division ko rakhne ki salah di hai. yeh salah central cabinet ki approval ka intezaar kar rahi hai.
committee ki salahon ke mutabik (The New Indian Express dwara payi gayi jaankari ke anusar), lagabhag 565 km truncated Waltair division ke jurisdiction mein aayega aur baaki 541 km Rayagada division ke andar aayega. Waltair division mein lagabhag 1,106 route km hai.
committee ne shayad Waltair ko band karne ke khilaf salah di hogi aur nayi zone ke liye 105 gazetted aur 780 non-gazetted officers ki strength ki salah di hogi, lekin Odisha ki Kothavalasa-Kirandul Line ko shamil karne aur state ki zyada revenue kamane wali railway lines ko, jo abhi dusre zones ke andar hai, ECoR mein milaane ki demands ko overlook kiya gaya hai. kayi logon ko yeh baat samajh nahi aa rahi hai ki SCoR zonal headquarters aur Rayagada divisional headquarters ki foundation stone unke boundaries final hone se pehle hi rakh di gayi hai. Prime Minister Narendra Modi ne is hafte in dono projects ki foundation stone rakhi thi.
"railway committee ne Andhra Pradesh ki demands ke hisab se Waltair ko rakhne ki salah di, lekin hairani ki baat hai ki Odisha ki un railway parts ko, jo ab South Eastern Railway (SER) aur South East Central Railway (SECR) ke andar hai, ECoR mein milaane ki demands par vichar nahi kiya gaya," sources ne bataya.
jabki DPR approval ka intezaar kar rahi hai aur nayi zone ke shuru hone ki formal notification 2019 se intezaar kar rahi hai, yeh matter is saal general elections ke baad hi tez hua. jabki BJP Odisha mein fir se power mein aayi hai, yeh AP sarkar ka ek hissa hai jiska gathan TDP aur JSP ke saath alliance mein hua hai.
sources ne bataya ki jabki SCoR zone aur Rayagada division se judi 11 parliamentary assurances pending hai, unhe tab tak resolve nahi kiya ja sakta jab tak DPR aur nayi zone aur division banane ki salahon par koi specific faisla nahi ho jata.
South Coast Railway (SCoR) zone ka nirman, Waltair division ka vibhajan, aur Rayagada division ka nirman abhi bhi Railway Board ke liye challenges paida kar raha hai. MOR aur PMO dono Odisha aur Andhra Pradesh, ya fir ECoR aur SCoR ke interests ko balance karne mein pareshan hai.
Waltair division ko do hisson mein baanta ja raha hai, ek hissa SCoR ke andar Vijayawada division mein mila diya jayega, aur baaki hissa ECoR ke andar nayi Rayagada division banega. is vikaas ne South Central Railway (SCR) ke dusre kshetron mein pareshani paida ki hai jinko SCoR mein baantne ki planning hai, kuch areas mein is order ko vapas lene ke liye silent agitation shuru ho gayi hai.
Railway Board ko various stakeholders ki competing demands aur interests ko milaane ka ek mushkil kaam ka samna hai. situation nazuk bani hui hai, board sabhi parties ko khush karne wala balance dhundhne ki koshish kar raha hai.