Railway Wagon project in Ganjam back from backburner

The Railways Ministry has decided to review the decade-old proposed wagon factory in Odisha's Ganjam district, sources said on Saturday, rekindling hopes for the implementation of the much-awaited project. The move comes days after different organisations reiterated their demand for the factory during the visit of Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to Berhampur.

The project at Sitapalli near Berhampur was sanctioned in 2011-12, but was virtually dropped in 2017 as the ministry cited lack of demand for wagons.

However, the East Coast Railway (ECoR) has recently written a letter to the state government to forward the land plan and expedite the handing over the land, official sources said.

In May, the ECoR wrote to the state to cancel the allotment of 101.6 acres of land for the project. Now, the railways has written to the state government to withdraw the same letter of cancellation, according to the sources.

"Our task is to provide the land for the project following the direction of the government," District Collector Vijay Kulange said, adding that the land has already been earmarked for the project.

Berhampur MP Chandra Sekhar Sahu said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has written several letters to the Union government for the implementation of the Sitalapalli project.

"I had also urged the railways minister for its implementation," Sahu said.

Kanhu Charan Pati, the former president of the BJP's district unit, said they had submitted a memorandum to Vaishnaw in support of the wagon factory.

Hundreds of people from Ganjam, one of the migrant-prone districts, will get employment directly and indirectly if the project sees the light of the day, said Sudhir Rout, president of the Forum for Ganjam, a Berhampur-based organisation.

"We hope that the project will be implemented," said J Suresh of the Ganjam Chamber of Commerce.