Bhubaneswar, April 16 (NationPress) A coalition of 11 opposition parties gathered on Thursday to stage a protest outside the headquarters of the East Coast Railway (ECoR) in Bhubaneswar. Their primary demand was the reinstatement of the Waltair Division, alongside their grievances regarding the perceived negligence of Odisha's railway needs.

The demonstration featured prominent leaders from various parties, who criticized the Central government for making unilateral decisions that impact railway management and infrastructure within the state.

During the protest, the leaders presented a five-point memorandum to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw via the ECoR General Manager. All 11 political parties were represented as they addressed the crowd.

The opposition aimed their criticism at the Union government for the bifurcation of the Waltair Division and the transfer of the Palasa-Ichchapuram section from the Khurda Road Division of ECoR to the South Coast Railway.

“The bifurcation of Waltair seems to have been influenced more by political motives than by sound administrative reasoning. This reflects a shift by the Government of India and the Ministry of Railways towards a more state-centric model in structuring railway zones, moving away from the established norm of a unified national railway network. This concern is further echoed by the recent transfer of the Palasa-Ichchapuram section,” stated the memorandum submitted to the Railway Minister.

The leaders raised alarms that such decisions could negatively impact ECoR, a zone that has consistently been recognized for its high performance and revenue generation, ultimately affecting job opportunities, operational effectiveness, and overall administrative capabilities.

They warned that the cumulative effects of these changes could lead to a significant financial loss, estimating an annual revenue drop of approximately Rs 10,000 crore.

Furthermore, the opposition parties urged that railway regions in Odisha currently managed by other zones should be transitioned under the ECoR's jurisdiction.

“We insist that, for the sake of policy consistency and recognizing Odisha's considerable contributions to railway revenue, railway regions in Odisha that currently belong to ECOR—namely Baleswar, Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, and Keonjhar under the South Eastern Railway, along with Jharsuguda under the South East Central Railway—be integrated into ECOR to ensure effective administration, efficiency, and fairness,” the opposition demanded.