By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : Protests in Odisha over cut in railway budget allocationMembers of Odisha’s ruling party Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Tuesday held demonstrations against reduction of Rs.60 crore from the railway’s budgetary allocation for the state.
While hundreds of BJD workers and leaders prevented railway officials from entering the workshop here, a group of party workers staged a demonstration in front of the East Coast Railway headquarters.
Carrying a banner, BJD legislators staged a demonstration inside the state assembly too.
“This is the third time since July that the railway has announced reduction,” legislator Sanjay Das Burma said.
The latest cut has been announced despite opposition by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, he said.
“We will intensify our agitation against the railways neglecting the state,” he said.
The Congress, on the other hand, has refuted the allegation and said the protests were politically motivated.
Railway projects in the state have been facing delay due to issues related to land acquisition, Congress leader Bhakta Charan Das said.