Bhubaneswar: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday accused the ruling-BJD of creating hurdles in realisation of the much-awaited Haridaspur-Paradip Railway Line project.
"We will never tolerate the way Mahakalpada MLA Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak tried to obstruct the railway line project by sending a few people to stop the trial run on the route," alleged Kishore Chandra Panda, BJP's Kendrapara district president.
No one can stop the developmental works in Kendrapara, said Panda adding, "We strongly condemn the conspiracy to stop the district's development and take up several programmes in the district protesting such a move of the BJD legislator."
Responding to the allegations, in a presser, the Mahakalpada MLA said that the railway is running goods trains on the route in the name of trail runs. Without creating any misunderstanding among people, Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal should clarify as to when will passenger trains will commence in the route.
The Railways has conducted a trial run on the Haridaspur-Paradip Railway Line on Friday. However, residents of Nuagaon staged a ‘rail roko' protest during the experimental run of the goods train while demanding the introduction of passenger train services on the route.
Later, on Saturday, the East Coast Railway (ECoR) appealed people to allow trial run of the goods trains on the route so that it can be deemed fit for running of passenger trains.
“Obstructing trial runs of these goods trains will take the whole process of making this line fit for passenger trains into the future,” the ECoR said in a release.
Speaking to OTV, a local sarpanch had admitted that the rail roko protest was carried out under instructions of the Mahakalpada MLA.
“We have come to protest at the behest of our MLA Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak. Braving the scorching heat, we have assembled here and will stop any goods train arrive. Our demand is that only passenger train will run in our area,” Uttara Tarai, sarpanch of Godaromit panchayat had said.
(Edited By Suryakant Jena)
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