Mail News Service
Jamshedpur, Feb 25: In a major relief to residents of several villages and nearby urban areas, the Railway Ministry has approved the stoppage of the Utkal Express (18477/18478) at Rakha Mines Railway Station. The approval comes after sustained efforts by Jamshedpur MP Bidyut Baran Mahto, who had been pursuing the demand for several years.
The new stoppage is expected to benefit passengers from hundreds of villages, including Jadugoda, Rakha, Kuldiha, Narwa and Asanbani. Local residents said the decision would greatly ease travel for education, healthcare, employment and religious journeys.
Expressing his happiness over the approval, MP Bidyut Baran Mahto said the demand had been pending for nearly seven years. “This is a victory for the people of the area. I have been continuously raising this issue with the Railway Ministry,” he said. He thanked Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, along with the General Manager and the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Kharagpur, for their cooperation in approving the stoppage.
BJP District Vice President Manoj Pratap Singh said the MP had always focused on grassroots issues. He described the stoppage of the Utkal Express at Rakha Mines as a “great gift” to the people and credited it to the MP’s consistent efforts and commitment to public welfare.
BJP District Secretary Rohit Singh Parmar said the decision would play an important role in the socio-economic development of the region. He added that the MP had maintained constant coordination with the Railway Ministry and strongly represented the concerns of local residents, which has now yielded positive results.
North Ichra Panchayat Committee Member Deepali Mandal also welcomed the decision. She said the train stoppage would especially benefit women, students and elderly passengers who earlier had to travel long distances to board the train. “This step will make daily life much easier for the people of the area,” she said, thanking the MP for his efforts.
The demand for a stoppage of the Utkal Mail at Rakha Mines dates back to 1996. At that time, a Joint Struggle Committee was formed, and a delegation met the then DRM of Kharagpur to submit a memorandum. Protests were also held at the Rakha Mines station premises to draw attention to the issue. Anil Agarwal and Manoj Pratap Singh were among the key leaders who actively supported the movement.
