Renewed Hope for Wagon Manufacturing Factory at Ganjam’s Sitalapalli as Railways Withdraws Cancellation Letter

Bhubaneswar: The much-talked and long-delayed wagon manufacturing project at Sitalapalli in Odisha’s Ganjam district is expected to see light of the day as the Railways has withdrawn the letter issued for cancellation of the allotment of land earmarked for the development of the project.

The East Coast Railway (ECoR) has asked the Odisha government to expedite the land plan and handing over of the land for the setting up of the project.

“Since the project is under review, the letter (dated 11.05.2021) is hereby withdrawn. Therefore, kindly arrange to forward the land plan/land schedule and handing over of land may be expedited as per allotment of land”, the ECoR informed the State Revenue & Disaster Management Department.

Earlier, the Ministry of Railways had decided to drop the proposed work of setting up of the factory stating there was no need for a new wagon factory as wagon production is surplus in the country.

The then Railway Minister Mamata Banarjee had announced establishment of the wagon factory in her budget speech in 2011-12.

The proposed project is to be implemented on public, private partnership mode and the ministry had sought 100 acres from the State.

The State Government had identified 101 acres of land at Sitalapalli, located near Jagannathpur Railway station, 20 km from Berhampur.

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik had written several letters to the Railway ministers to expedite of the project.