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Odisha Territory Safe: Railways Debunks South Coast Zone Myths

The Indian Railways has clarified that no territory of Odisha will be transferred under the South Coast Railway plan. The new Visakhapatnam Division includes only stations in Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam district. A total of 696 km of railway routes will remain under the East Coast Railway's Rayagada Division. The clarification comes amid protests from Odisha political parties demanding a rollback.

Key Points: Odisha Not Losing Territory: South Coast Railway Clarifies

  • Railways denies Odisha territorial loss from South Coast Railway zone
  • Only Andhra stations in Visakhapatnam Division
  • 696 km routes remain under Rayagada Division
  • Odisha opposition demands rollback of decision
2 min read

'Odisha will not lose territory under South Coast Railway plan'

Indian Railways clarifies Odisha won't lose territory under South Coast Railway plan. Visakhapatnam Division includes only Andhra stations.

"No part of Odisha is being transferred to Andhra Pradesh - Indian Railways"

Bhubaneswar, May 6

The Indian Railways on Wednesday once again clarified that the creation of the South Coast Railway would not result in any loss to Odisha, terming reports suggesting otherwise as misleading and motivated.

In an official statement, authorities said the clarification was issued in response to widely circulated reports claiming that Odisha stood to lose significantly because of the formation of the new South Coast Railway zone.

The Railways dismissed such claims as factually incorrect and alleged that they were being spread by persons and groups with vested interests.

According to official information, the newly formed South Coast Railway's Visakhapatnam Division includes a 53-km stretch from Palasa to Ichchapuram, comprising seven stations - Palasa, Sumadevi, Mandasa Road, Baruva, Sompeta, Jhadupudi and Ichchapuram - all located in Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam district.

The Railways said this clearly establishes that no part of Odisha is being transferred to Andhra Pradesh, making claims of territorial loss baseless.

Meanwhile, a total of 696 km of railway routes, including the Koraput-Singapur Road, Kothavalasa-Kirandul, Kuneru-Therubali and Gunupur-Paralakhemundi sections, will continue to remain under the newly formed Rayagada Division of the East Coast Railway.

The Railways reiterated that under no circumstances was any part of Odisha being brought under the administrative jurisdiction of Andhra Pradesh.

It also urged the public not to be misled by what it described as baseless and motivated misinformation.

Notably, the Centre recently issued a gazette notification establishing the South Coast Railway Zone with its headquarters in Visakhapatnam with effect from June 1, 2026.

The new zone will include divisions such as Guntakal, Guntur, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam after reorganisation of the South Central Railway (SCR) and East Coast Railway (ECoR), fulfilling a long-pending demand of Andhra Pradesh.

However, the move has triggered protests in Odisha, with the BJD, Congress, Left parties and several other opposition groups demanding an immediate rollback of the decision to transfer the Palasa-Ichchapuram section to the South Coast Railway (SCoR).

- IANS

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Reader Comments

J
James A
As an outsider, this seems like typical state rivalry. But if the railways says no territory loss, why are opposition parties protesting? They should check facts before spreading panic 😤
S
Sneha F
I'm from Odisha and this clarification is welcome. The Palasa-Ichchapuram stretch was always in AP, so no issue there. My concern is why this wasn't communicated properly earlier. The politics around railway zones is getting too messy
K
Karthik V
Honestly, as a Telugu person, I can understand Odisha's sentiment. But the railway zones are about administrative efficiency, not taking land. Both states should cooperate for better connectivity in the region. The real issue is lack of transparency from the government 😕
T
Tanya I
Good that Railways clarified, but why does the notification create so much confusion? The opposition is justified in protesting - they should have been more careful with wording. Arrey, our politicians love any excuse to create a controversy!
R
Ritika R
This is pure politics. The railway zone was promised to Andhra since 2014, and now Odisha parties are making it a prestige issue. Facts are clear - 53 km in AP only. At least now people can stop worrying about losing their home state 😄
D
Deepak U
I respect the

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