To:

Ms Mamata Banerjee , Hon’ble Union Minister of Railways,

Copy to:

Shri Manmohan Singh, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India
Shri K.H.Muniyappa, Hon’ble Minister of State, Railways
Shri E. Ahamed, Hon’ble Minister of State, Railways
Shri Naveen Patnaik, Hon’ble Chief Minister , Odisha
Shri T.R. Baalu, Standing Committee Chairman, Railways
Shri Vivek Sahai, Chairman, Railway Board

Respected Madam / Sir,

We ,the people of Rourkela, would like to draw your kind attention towards the plight of Sundargarh, Jharsuguda and Kendujhargarh districts of Odisha state, which account for the heavy revenue generated by Chakradharpur Division and hence also for South Eastern Railway Zone, but unfortunately remain the most neglected regions in comparison to rail connectivity and facilities in the other part of the country.

Chakradharpur Division of South Eastern Railway has emerged as the highest revenue generating division in the country ,a number of times. The sole reason for this is notable achievement is the mineral rich Chotanagpur Plateau region popularly known as “Ruhr of India” due to its innumerable industries. This region comprises of the mineral rich Sundargarh,Kendujhargarh and Jharsuguda Districts of Odisha from where Iron Ore and other minerals are transported throughout the country.

The region also has a number of heavy industries like Rourkela Steel Plant, Rourkela; OCL-Rajgangpur; Tata Refractories, Belpahar,Adhunik Metalliks-Rourkela; L&T- Kansbahal , Bhusan Steel and Powers –Jharsuguda; Vedanta-Jharsuguda; GOCL,Rourkela etc. which pay a huge amount to the railways for transportation of raw materials as well as finished products. Hence a lot of freight activity is noticed in this region.
Odisha state has got 2495 kms. of railway route,of which 337 kms.the highest in the state, passes through Sundargarh District. Only Sundargarh district generates about Rs 800 crores annually, which accounts for 40% of the total revenue generated by Chakradharpur Division. Similarly Jharsuguda is an emerging industrial hub with a number of operating mega projects, while a number of industries are in the offing. Kendujhargarh is popular for its innumerous mines. So its natural that the people will have high expectations from the Railway Budget every year but most of the times they are met with empty hands.

IMPORTANT FACTORS INFLUENCING THE CREATION OF NEW DIVISION

1. Repeated neglecting by Chakradharpur Division and South Eastern Railways :

Passenger services remain neglected, in one of the most industrialized regions of the country. The region lacks basic infrastructure and mostly serves the movement of freight than serving the needy railway passengers in the absence of adequate number of trains.

The region which is considered as one of the most backward pockets of the country with a huge tribal population, has been deprived of the basic railway infrastructure and this is considered as the biggest stumbling block in the development of the region and its principal urban center, Rourkela – Rajgangpur- Jharsuguda area . Lack of proper communication facilities and infrastructure has led to the increase of naxalite activities in the region.

Out of the total 741.705 route kms of Chakradharpur Division, 405.907 kms are located in the state of Odisha covering about 50 stations out of the total 87 stations of Chakradharpur Division.
Out of the three A-Class stations of Chakradharpur Division , two i.e. Rourkela and Jharsuguda are in Odisha.
Despite of all the above mentioned points, the condition of these stations are miserable as per the following points.

I. Insufficient trains to cater the needs of the people of the region.
II. Proper care of stations is not taken and many low class stations are in a tottering condition with poor sanitation facilities.
III. No developmental acitivity in the station complex or in the circulating area of the station.
IV. Poor connectivity with many parts of the country.
V. No major railway projects like new railway lines or establishment of any manufacturing unit undertaken since independence.
VI. No proper public health care service.

As far as the deficit of railway infrastructure in Rourkela city is concerned, unmet demands, unfulfilled promises and false assurances galore as citizens of Rourkela City wait with bated breath for another Union Railway Budget, every year. Despite being an A-class station and model station, Rourkela is still deprived of such facilities.A number of times ,many organizations from Rourkela have raised vital issues with the higher authorities of South Eastern Railways, but they seem to have taken no interest in all these.

Every time due to natural calamity or any insurgent activity, Rourkela has to bear the brunt as trains are either cancelled or diverted, as it is happening in case of Utkal and Samaleswari with NO ALTERNATIVE arrangement. Every time in the name of no feasibility and technical problems, each and every genuine demand of Rourkela is being turned down.

Talcher-Bimalagarh railway route which could have been a boon to the tribal districts of Sundargarh and Keonjhar is being overlooked since 1885 after the positive cost and benefit analysis. This route could have proved a boon for the people North – east districts of Odisha as it could have accelerated the development of the region as well as improved connectivity to Coastal Odisha especially between Rourkela City and the capital city of Bhubaneswar. This route would also provide an easy access to Paradeep port from the Chotanagpur Industrial Belt .Even now the funding is much less for this project and the current rate it will take more 20 years to be completed.

Not even 10 percent of the total revenue generated is spent on this area. So these are some of the major issues which has created an atmosphere of disgust and hatred for South Eastern Railways in general and Chakradharpur Division in particular, among the people of these districts. The remedy to this problem is to create a new Rourkela Division, administered by East Coast Railways.

2. Advantages of being placed in East Coast Railways

After the creation of a full phase Railway Zone known as the East Coast Railway in 2003 most of the state was put under the zone with the divisions Khurda Road, Sambalpur and Waltair (Visakhapatnam). While the high revenue yielding stations of Rourkela, Jharsuguda, Barbil, Bondamunda,Belpahar,Brajarajnagar etc. were placed under Chakradharpur Division of South Eastern Railway and Bilaspur Division of South East Central Railway.

Since then East Coast Railways has created a saga of success and development, while the stations of Odisha under South Eastern Railways have been put in COLD STORAGE. One can easily judge the rapid growth of East Coast Railways by its well maintainance of its low class stations.

3. Creation of a new railway zone at Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam(Waltair) is now being considered to be developed as a new railway zone including the Andhra districts of Visakhapatnam,Srikakulam and Vizianagram. Hence in the same justified manner , Rourkela Division should be constituted with the Odisha districts of Sundargarh,Keonjhar and Jharsuguda, which will benefit more than 50 lakhs people.

Sambalpur Division of East Coast Railways covers much part of Western Odisha but generates only Rs. 322 crores of revenue annually, while only Sundargarh district generates Rs 800 crores in a year and with the districts of Jharsuguda and Keonjhar ,the figure goes upto Rs 2000 crores or more. Hence the potential of the region should not be neglected.

Proposed Rourkela Division can consist of the following routes

• Rourkela-Biramitrapur
• Rourkela-Nuagaon
• Rourkela-Jaraikela
• Rourkela-Barsuan-Kiriburu Mines
• Rourkela-Jharsuguda-Brajarajnagar-Belpahar
• Bimalagarh-Talcher railway route ( faster completion needed)
• Bansapani-Bimalagarh route (work initiation needed)
• Kiriburu-Gua
• Kiriburu-Bolanikhadan
• Jharsuguda-Sundargarh-Talsara

The expected station list under Rourkela Division are as follows

1.Rourkela Junction 2.Jharsuguda Junction 3.Bimalagarh Junction 4.Bondamunda Junction 5.Bisra 6.Bhalulata 7.Jaraikela 8.Manoharpur 9.Kuarmunda 10.Quarry Siding 11.Panposh 12.Bangurkela 13.Bispur 14.Nuagaon(Nawagaon) 15.Dumetra/Dumerta 16.Lathikata 17.Champajharan 18.Chandiposh 19.Patasahi 20.Gagnapose 21.Barsuan 22. Roxi 23.Rangra 24.Tupadih 25.Karampada 26.Kiriburu 27.Kalunga 28.Kanshbahal 29.Rajgangpur 30.Sonakhan 31.Sagra 32.Garpos 33.Tangarmunda 34.Bamra 35.Dharuadih 36.Bagdihi 37.Panpali 38.Dhutra 39.Brundamal 40.Lapanga 41.Rengali 42.Ib 43. Brajarajnagar 44.Belpahar 45.Hemagiri 46.Gua 47.Barjamda 48.Bolanikhadan 49.Barbil 50.Noamundi 51.Padapahar 52.Deojhar 53. Murga Mahadev 54.Banspani 55. Jaroli 56.Hemagiri 57.Daghora 58.Jamga 59.Kotarlia 60.Nayagarh 61.Goaldih 62. Porjanpur 63. Kendujhargarh

The vacant bungalows in Bondamunda can be used for activities of the railway division and the ARM office at Bondamunda can be upgraded to DRM office. Rourkela has sufficient infrastructure and potential to be the headquarters of the new division.

Hence it’s a sincere request to you, to consider the early creation of Rourkela Railway Division, administered by East Coast Railways for the betterment of the residents of Rourkela as well as the whole of Sundargarh, Jharsuguda and Keonjhar districts.

Awaiting your noble action on this vital and genuine demand which can be a win-win situation for Railway Department and citizens of Odisha.

Thanking you

To
The Hon’ble Governor , Odisha

Revered Sir,

We, the Ravenshavians, humbly draw your kind attention to save East Hostel and thereby by save the glorious literary and cultural heritage of Ravenshaw and Odisha from the hands of the devastating University authorities.

• It is a well-known fact that the historic West Hostel and East Hostel of Ravenshaw have created and shaped scores of dignitaries and illustrious personalities which brought pride and recognition to Ravenshaw and Odisha worldwide.
• The hostel magazines of West Hostel and East Hostel, ‘Urmi’ and ‘Jagaran’ respectively have been playing a seminal role in creating and shaping many poets, writers and scholars of twentieth century Odisha since the early 1920s. Eminent poets like Mayadhar Mansingh (first editor of Urmi) and many celebrated litterateurs of Odisha had been editors of these historic hostel magazines once upon a time during their stay in the hostels as boarders.
• The Glorious heritage of West Hostel has already been buried (in 2008). It may be learnt that ‘Urmi’ is not being published since the last two years. Now West Hostel is housing the residential Ravenshaw Management Centre (RMC).
  1. Last year when again, there was a conspiracy to do the same with East Hostel, to house residential self-financing Hotel Management department, all Ravenshavians stand united and opposed the authority and took the issue into the govt’s table.
  2. Finally after a discussion was made from all aspects and from all angles (including the issues of converting East Hostel into girls’ hostel to housing residential self-financing departments) in the Office Chamber of Hon’ able Minister, Higher education on 23.7.2009 in the presence of the Hon’ able higher education minister, VC, and students’ representatives of RU, the authority was given written order to complete the entire renovation work of East Hostel Of the University within-a-year and allow resurrection of it for general students. As per the govt’s order students staying in this hostel were shifted to another hostel.
  3. In spite of the govt’s order till now Hostel is not being permitted to stay. Sir we are facing severe problems in carrying our study smoothly as from last year we have been staying in another hostel with temporary adjustments.
  4. This year 60 new applicants also have been given admission into East Hostel. But now it seems everything is going to be shattered by the evil intension of our V.C. who thinks himself above the Govt.’s order. He again wants to convert East Hostel into some self-financing department and trying to obtain the same in the name of girls. He is spreading information in the air that he wants to convert into girls’ hostel due to the increase in the number of girl students. He intentionally directed superintendents of girls’ hostels to provoke the boarders to appeal to convert East Hostel into girls’ Hostel. While the boarders of the girls’ hostels are not in for of it, they are being threatened to do so.
  5. In the other hand, (if the authority really thinks for girls) there is no rationale for housing girls in East Hostel when there is neither dearth of land nor funds for setting up a new hostel building for girls. We are not opposed to increasing hostel for girl students , but converting boys’ hostels into girls’ hostel is not the solution to avoid rush on the existing ladies hostels as boys also grapple with inadequate hostel space.
  6. Sir, we the students of Ravenshaw University are in humble hunger strike w.e.f 18th August 2010. It will continue till the declaration of opening East Hostel for students and the announcement of roll back on the decision of VC to convert it into girls’ hostel.
  7. Sir, Ravenshaw University, Odisha, needs freedom from the hands of our current VC, who continuously disgracing Govt. Orders and who has been continuously ruining our educational environment for his personal interest/ benefit since his joining.

Yours truly,
Students of Ravenshaw University

Govt of Odisha’s Official Order about East Hostel

To:
The Minister for Steel and Mines

Copy to: Shri Manmohan Singh, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India
Shri Naveen Patnaik, Hon’ble Chief Minister ,State of Odisha
Shri Chandra Sekhar Verma, Chairman,Steel Authority of India Limited(SAIL)
Secretary, Ministry of Steel

Sub:- Memorandum on upgrading Ispat General Hospital (IGH),Rourkela into a Medical College and Super Speciality Hospital

Respected Sir :

We the people of Greater Rourkela areas would like to draw your kind attention towards our proposal for upgrading Ispat General Hospital(IGH) at Rourkela into a full fledged Medical College and Super Speciality Hospital.
The first Public Sector Steel Plant in the country was set up in Rourkela in 1955, owing to its location in the mineral rich belt of Sundargarh District in Odisha. This plant attracted a huge workforce from all over Odisha and India, hence residential townships like Steel Townships(comprising of 18 Sectors) and Fertilizer Township were set up with all amenities like 24 hours electricity and water supply. For medical services, a massive hospital known as Ispat General Hospital (IGH) was established at Sector-19 and a branch of this hospital was opened in Fertilizer Township.

Ispat General Hospital is a 685 bed modern and well equipped hospital having the state of art technology with a motivated team of medical and para-medical professionals working to provide medicare of the highest standard. The various departments include Intensive Care Unit, Burn Center, Dialysis Centre, Blood Transfusion Center etc. It annually takes 33,000 admissions and looks after some 15 lakh patients in its OPD.

Not only the residents of Steel Township , but also the mine workers operated by SAIL do come here for their treatment. Also Non-SAIL employees from Rourkela and other parts of Sundargarh, Keonjhar,Jharsuguda and also from the nearby state of Jharkhand depend on this hospital as its well reputed for its health facilities. Most of the emergency cases of Rourkela are referred to IGH only.

Hence considering the above points and keeping the future needs ,this hospital should be upgraded into a Medical College and Super speciality Hospital. This would hardly require a budget of Rs 75-100 crores and would be an easy process instead of establishing a new Medical College and Hospital which will cost more than Rs. 250 crores.

In similar line , Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has already started working on its project at Bokaro which includes upgrading the 910 bed Bokaro General Hospital into a Medical College and Hospital. This hospital has more facilities than IGH like Intensive Coronary Care Unit, Haemodialysis Unit, Nuclear Medicine Laboratory, etc. Also it has the distinction of being the only one in Jharkhand being recognised by the National Board of Examinations, New Delhi as a centre for imparting post-graduate training to candidates appearing for the Diplomat of National Board examinations.

Hence it’s a sincere request to you, to consider this proposal for upgrading IGH into a medical college for the betterment of the residents of Rourkela as well as the rest part of the Chota nagpur Plateau region who can immensely benifits out of it. This includes the neighboring districts of Odisha such as Keonjhar and Jharsuguda as well.

We also propose that once it is done, it can later cater to remote areas by opening small operational units of IGH ( 40-50 Beds) which in turn will work with IGH Rourkela in terms of consulting the specialists after the primary care at the local IGH unit. The concept can be well learnt from the hugely popular and successful stategy adopted by Aravind Eye Hospital of India.

Thanking you

Memebers of
Rourkela Unnayana Mancha

And
Well wishers of Greater Rourkela Area & Odisha.

[ Read entire petition ]

To: The Prime Minister, Republic of India

Sub: Upgradation of Airports and Air connectivity in Odisha.

Dear Sir:

While each of India’s parts should progress for India to go ahead, some are really falling behind, increasing the GAP in development. Such is the case with Odisha. In recent past various central projects have not been located in the other areas of Odisha, in a distributed manner, under the plea that areas are not Air connected. We have seen this argument again and again and again.

The recent Central University of Orissa (CUO), of Koraput, is a case in point. It’s VC, under the deceptive cover of poor connectivity of Koraput, has started a parallel campus in BBSR, while operating from Kolkata. This must be stopped and will be stopped.

But what stands out is lack of Regional Airports in Odisha and it’s lack of overall Air connectivity. We are thus presenting an overall proposal of Air connectivity in Odisha, with a request you thus Sir, to kindly consider & implement the following at the minimum:

• Upgrade the 60 years old regional Airport at BBSR to an International Airport.
• Expedite and complete the construction of ongoing Domestic Airport in Jharsugda district, in western Odisha, within next two years.
• Reinvigorate and evaluate for a possible domestic airport for the unused South regional Jeypore Airport, Koraput in to action in next 2 years.

This will enable the remote areas of Odisha to be connected to the places of national importance and will prevent lack of air connectivity as a alibi, for not locating Institutes of National importance in the backward areas.

In addition to the above , Airports at Rourkela , Berhampur and Rayagada can be developed further in future which were once upon a time used for emergency landing. These airports can serve as feeder to the above full fledged Airports.

Justification & rationale for all of them are attached here.

Yours truly,
Citizens & Well wishers of Odisha

[ Read entire petition ]

[ Read entire petition ]