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Time of India
02-08-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
BJD stages stir over state highway woes
Koraput: Amid mounting concerns over the poor condition of a key stretch of State Highway-48 (SH-48), senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leaders on Saturday staged a protest and submitted a memorandum to the chief engineer of the Indravati-Kolab irrigation division basin at Bariniput here, demanding immediate repair and restoration work. Led by former minister and BJD vice-president Rabi Narayan Nanda, the leaders warned that the party would launch a mass agitation if their demands were not met. They pointed out that of the 40-kilometre Borigumma-Koraput road via Ranigad, around 7 km falls under the jurisdiction of the irrigation department. This stretch, constructed nearly a decade ago, has not undergone any maintenance since then and is now in a severely dilapidated state. "The road is a vital link not just for Odisha but also for neighbouring Chhattisgarh. Thousands of vehicles ply this route daily. The deteriorating condition of the road has led to frequent accidents, and heavy vehicles often get stuck mid-way as the road has developed huge craters," Nanda said. He further alleged that a previous directive by the district administration, limiting heavy vehicle movement to daytime hours to ease traffic on the Koraput-Jeypore ghat road, has increased pressure on the SH-48 stretch, worsening its condition. Despite repeated complaints over the last three years, authorities have failed to act, the leaders said. Responding to the concerns, chief engineer Jugal Kishore Khatua admitted to the poor condition of the road and assured that repair work would begin shortly. "We are aware of the issue. The estimate for the repair has already been prepared, and work will commence soon," Khatua said. He added that steps are being taken to transfer responsibility to the public works department. "Though a decision for the handover was taken in 2022, it has not yet been implemented. We will initiate steps for the transfer soon," said Khatua. Accusing the administration of negligence, the BJD leaders asserted that any further delay in repairs would force the party to launch a large-scale protest to ensure public safety and restore proper transport connectivity. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
29-07-2025
- Time of India
BJD urges ECoR to resume passenger trains on Koraput-Kirandul line
Koraput: BJD has urged the East Coast Railway (ECoR) to immediately resume train services on the Koraput-Kirandul line after they were suspended following a landslide earlier this month, to address the inconvenience faced by commuters. In a memorandum submitted to the ECoR general manager, BJD stated that train services on the Koraput-Kirandul line were disrupted on July 2 after a landslide between Malliguda and Jarati stations under the Waltair division. Though the debris were cleared within two days and tracks were declared fit for operation by July 4 evening, passenger services remain suspended while goods trains have resumed movement at restricted speed. Highlighting the plight of commuters, BJD pointed out that thousands of passengers are facing daily hardship as all long-route passenger trains are being short-terminated at Koraput, instead of reaching their original destinations like Jeypore, Jagdalpur and Kirandul. Former minister and senior BJD member Rabi Narayan Nanda said, "Indian Railways claims to be committed to providing comfortable journeys to the public but in this case, the authorities appear to have failed in restoring normalcy for passengers. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo We demand the immediate resumption of passenger train services to Jeypore and Jagdalpur," he added. According to reports, at least 10 passenger trains are being short-terminated since the disruption. A senior railway official said the suspension of services was a precautionary measure due to ongoing safety-related works in the affected section. "Tracks have been cleared but we cannot take any chances as rain continues in the region. Goods trains are operating with utmost caution and limited speed. We are hopeful of resuming passenger train services on the route soon," the official said
