Sonepur: The Balangir-Khurda rail project action committees have expressed concern over the inordinate delay in implementing it.

Members of the committee from Balangir, Boudh and Sonepur districts on Sunday took part in a discussion over the fate of the project. Representatives of political parties such as the Congress, BJP and the BJD also ventilated their views on the issue. The political party members unitedly agreed to fight for the project. It was decided that a core committee would be formed to raise the issue at the party level and also put forth the demand.

Activists such as Bhabani Satapathy from Balangir, Debasish Purohit from Boudh and Govind Maharana from Sonepur attended the meet. Sonepur action committee president Shyama Om Prasad Mishra co-ordinated the discussion. The project had got the approval of the President in 1994 and its work started in 2007. But due to want of political will, the budgetary allocation became negligible affecting the project's progress.

Only in the last two budgets, the project's allocations have been satisfactory. However, hurdles such as land acquisition have hindered the work.

Activist Ghasiram Panda informed the meeting that hurdles in land acquisition had delayed the project, especially in Sonepur and Boudh districts.

"Out of the 30 villages in Sonepur district, land acquisition is going on at 14 villages. At the rest 16 villages, it is yet to begin. In Boudh district, land acquisition has not begun at as many as 102 villages. But, as there is no need for land acquisition to construct bridges over rivers, rivulets and other small water bodies, the government should give priority to these works," he said.

"The government must open land acquisition offices in Boudh and Sonepur districts and deploy special land acquisition officers there," he said.

Mishra said a delegate would hand over a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is scheduled to visit Jharsuguda on Saturday. "We have also decided to send memorandum to the chief minister, governor and the Union railways minister through district collectors," he said. He further said people of the three districts would hit the street if the project is not expedited.