- By Imran Zafar
- Sun, 19 Nov 2023 04:41 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
President Droupadi Murmu will flag off three trains from Badampahar railway station in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district on November 21, connecting the tribal-dominated area with major cities of the state and the country. This will be a historic moment for the people of Badampahar, who have been waiting for express train service for 90 years.
President Murmu will also travel in one of the trains herself, making it the first time that the President of India will use a normal AC coach instead of the special Presidential train.
The three trains that will be inaugurated include, Badampahar Shalimar Express, which will run from Badampahar to Kolkata via Rourkela; Badampahar Rourkela Passenger, which will run from Badampahar to Rourkela and Badampahar Rairangpur Passenger, which will run from Badampahar to Rairangpur, the birthplace of the President.
The President will board the Badampahar Shalimar Express and travel about 32 kilometres to Rairangpur, accompanied by about 200 students from various schools. She will then proceed to Baripada, the district headquarters, where she will attend several programs during her two-day visit.
The inauguration of the trains is the fulfilment of a long-cherished dream of the President, who had made several efforts to connect her area with other business centres of the state and the country through express trains when she was the state transport minister from 2000 to 2002. It is also the realization of a 90-year-old dream of the people of Badampahar, who have been deprived of express train service since the railway service started in Mayurbhanj in 1932.
The railway service in Mayurbhanj was initiated by the Raja of Mayurbhanj during the reign of the monarchy, with the main objective of exporting minerals from Badampahar to Tatanagar and Jamshedpur.
ALSO READ: Punjab Govt To Provide 42 Citizen Centric Services At Doorsteps Starting From Guru Nanak Jayanti
After the end of the monarchy, post-independence, Mayurbhanj state was merged into Odisha and Mayurbhanj became a district in the state of Odisha. The Badampahar-Tatanagar railway line was converted from narrow gauge to broad gauge and hundreds of tonnes of iron ore started moving to West Bengal’s Tatanagar and other parts of the neighbouring state of Chhattisgarh. However, no passenger trains were running for the people of the area, until a passenger train was started later due to the demand of local people.
The local residents of Badampahar are overjoyed by the news of the inauguration of the trains and have decorated the Badampahar railway station with flowers and banners. They have also expressed their gratitude to the President for bringing development to their area.