India's political landscape is ablaze with activity! From the ongoing debates surrounding the new farm bills and their impact on rural India, to the upcoming state elections shaping the national narrative, the stakes couldn't be higher. Key political figures are maneuvering strategically, with alliances shifting and power dynamics constantly in flux. The opposition's challenge to the ruling party is intensifying, sparking vigorous debates on crucial policy matters including economic reforms and social justice initiatives. Parliamentary proceedings are filled with heated exchanges, reflecting the deep divisions within the nation. This evolving political climate directly impacts the lives of every Indian citizen, influencing everything from economic opportunities to social welfare programs. Stay informed about the latest developments in Indian politics, from crucial legislative decisions to grassroots movements, by exploring Abtak.com for in-depth analysis and breaking news updates. Understanding the intricacies of our political system is crucial; stay engaged, stay informed, and stay ahead.
New Delhi [India], April 5 (ANI): The Indian Railways on Sunday announced the creation of the South Coast Railway (SCoR) Zone, with its headquarters at Visakhapatnam, clarifying concerns regarding stations in the Srikakulam district. A factual note from the Railways stated that the Palasa-Ichchapuram section, spanning approximately 50 km, comprises seven stations -- Palasa, Summadevi, Mandasa Road, Baruva, Sompeta, Jhadupudi, and Ichchapuram -- all located in the Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, with none situated in Odisha. "These stations are small to mid-sized stations handling primarily passenger traffic. None of them is a major freight loading point. Therefore, ECoR's revenue remains unaffected," the Railways clarified. It further added that pass-through freight traffic will continue uninterrupted regardless of which zone has jurisdiction, ensuring railway operations remain seamless across zonal boundaries. "No disruption to train services. All existing trains, including Palasa-Bhubaneswar, Palasa-Cuttack, and Ichchapuram-Cuttack MEMU/passenger services, will continue to operate without any change in schedule, route, or frequency," the statement said. The Railways described the creation of SCoR as a technical revision aimed at ensuring the smooth functioning of passenger services in the Visakhapatnam division. "The modalities of the transfer, including staff deployment, are being finalised between ECoR and SCoR. The interests and service conditions of all railway employees will be fully protected as per established norms," it added. The note reaffirmed the government's commitment to Odisha, highlighting "record capital expenditure on railway network expansion in Odisha, station modernisation, Vande Bharat services, and the newly created Rayagada Division under ECoR" as evidence of ongoing support. (ANI)
Bhubaneswar, April 3 (SocialNews.XYZ) The opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Friday severely criticised the Odisha government over the merger of Palasa and Ichchapuram with the proposed Vishakhapatnam division of South Coast Railway zone. The party alleged that instead of Odisha receiving more benefits under the BJP government, which came to power with the slogan of "Double Engine, Double Development," the state is being deprived of its rightful share. Opposition BJD leaders further asserted that during the celebration of Odisha Day (Utkal Divas), the areas of Palasa and Ichchapuram have be ...Read More >
BHUBANESWAR: The Railway Board notification revising the jurisdiction of South Coast Railway (SCoR) zone incorporating Palasa-Ichchapuram rail section from Khurda Road division of East Coast Railway (ECoR) has sparked a huge backlash in Odisha. On April 2, 2026, the Railway Board authorised the transfer of Palasa-Ichchapuram rail section, a high revenue earning and strategically important stretch connecting Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, to Visakhapatnam division of SCoR. The move is seen as a significant reduction in ECoR's jurisdiction, sparking accusations that the central government is priori ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: East Coast Railway (ECoR) gained outstanding achievements for the financial year 2025-26, highlighting record-breaking freight performance, strong revenue growth, and major infrastructure advancements. ECoR retained its position as the top freight handling zone of Indian Railways for yet another year, continuing its dominance for the ninth consecutive year. The zone also surpassed 200 million tonne (MT) of freight loading for the seventh year in a row, underlining its consistent operational excellence. During FY 2025-26, ECoR achieved the highest-ever freight loading of 286.26 ...Read More >
Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao has urged Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to create a new railway division with headquarters at Kazipet in Telangana, citing rising operational strain on the Secunderabad division.In a letter on Wednesday, KTR pointed out that ongoing restructuring in South Central Railway and the operationalisation of South Coast Railway has placed burden on Secunderabad railway division. "The Secunderabad division currently spans 2,755 track km, which is expected to increase to about 3,150 track km with new double-line sections. This far exceeds the optima ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: The East Coast Railway (ECoR) Sunday said that its revenue generation will remain unaffected even after the transfer of the Palasa-Ichchapuram section to the South Coast Railway (SCoR). The ECoR issued this clarification after all opposition political parties in Odisha, including BJD and Congress, announced that they would jointly protest the Railway Board's decision to transfer the Palasa-Ichchapuram section to the SCoR. The ECoR in a statement said that Palasa-Ichchapuram Section (about 50 km) consists of 7 stations - Palasa, Summadevi, Mandasa Road, Baruva, Sompeta, Jhadupudi ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], October 28 (ANI): Landfall process of the Severe Cyclonic Storm (SCS) 'Montha' commenced on Tuesday around 7:30 pm as the storm is likely to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around Kakinada tonight, the India Meteorological Department said. As per the update at 9:30 pm, IMD said, "SCS Montha is likely to move northwestwards and cross Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, to the south of Kakinada during the next 2 hours as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting ...Read More >
Indian Railways launched the Amrit Bharat Express connecting Dhanbad and Pottanur, enhancing travel between East and South India. The train features modern amenities and stops at major stations, benefiting commuters, students, and tourists. In a move aimed at making long-distance travel more convenient, the Indian Railways is set to introduce a new train service connecting eastern and southern parts of the country. According to reports, the Amrit Bharat Express, equipped with several modern faci ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], October 28 (ANI): Landfall process of the Severe Cyclonic Storm (SCS) 'Montha' commenced on Tuesday around 7:30 pm as the storm is likely to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around Kakinada tonight, the India Meteorological Department said. As per the update at 9:30 pm, IMD said, "SCS Montha is likely to move northwestwards and cross Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, to the south of Kakinada during the next 2 hours as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting ...Read More >
Hyderabad, April 1 (SocialNews.XYZ) Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K. T. Rama Rao has written a letter to Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, urging the immediate formation of a new Railway Division with headquarters at Kazipet in Telangana. Rama Rao highlighted that the ongoing restructuring within the South Central Railway and operationalisation of the South Coast Railway have placed an excessive operational burden on the Secunderabad Division. As per the latest restructuring data, the Secunderabad Division currently spans 2,755 track kilometres, which is expected to expand ...Read More >
New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: The jurisdiction of the East Coast Railway (ECoR), headquartered in Bhubaneswar, has shrunk following a decision by the Ministry of Railways to transfer 50-km Ichchapuram-Palasa section of the Khurda Road division to the proposed Visakhapatnam division of the new South Coast Railway (SCoR) zone. According to an official letter issued by the Railway Board on April 2, Rameshwar Meena, Executive Director, informed the General Managers of ECoR and SCoR that the jurisdiction of the proposed SCoR has been reviewed. "In partial modification, it has now been decided by the comp ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar, Apr 4 (PTI) Ten opposition parties in Odisha, including the BJD and Congress, on Saturday strongly opposed the Railway Board's decision to transfer Palasa-Ichhapuram section from East Coast Railway (ECoR) to the South Coast Railway (SCoR) and termed it as "anti-Odisha and unjust". The BJD, Congress, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML) Liberation, Forward Bloc, NCP, RJD, Samata Kranti Dal and Samajwadi Party, at a meeting here, resolved that they will jointly stage a protest before the East Coast Railway Zone headquarters here and demand a rollback of the decision. The meeting strongly condemne ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: East Coast Railway (ECoR) has once again reaffirmed its position as the premier freight handling zone of Indian Railways, achieving an all time high freight loading of 286.3 Million Tonnes (MT) during the financial year 2025-26. This marks a significant increase of 27 MT over the previous year's loading of 259.25 MT, underscoring the zone's consistent growth and operational excellence. In tandem with the rise in freight loading, the zone also recorded a substantial increase in freight earnings. During 2025-26, East Coast Railway earned ₹29,456.60 crore from freight operations, co ...Read More >
New Delhi, Apr 1 (PTI) Railway Ministry on Wednesday said that a record 1,670 million tonnes of cargo and 741 crore passengers were transported in the financial year 2025-26, registering over 3 per cent annual growth in both sectors. The cargo transport saw an increase of 3.25 per cent, while the passengers sector rose by 3.54 per cent, it said. The total number of passengers carried rose to 741 crore in 2025-26, as compared to 716 crore in 2024-25, reflecting sustained growth in rail usage across the country, the ministry said in a press note. "Correspondingly, total revenue reached approx ...Read More >
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], April 2 (ANI): The Working President of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), KT Rama Rao (KTR), has written a detailed letter to the Railway Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, urging the immediate formation of a new Railway Division with headquarters at Kazipet in Telangana. In his representation, KTR highlighted that the ongoing restructuring within the South Central Railway and operationalisation of the South Coast Railway have placed an excessive operational burden on the Secunderabad Division. As per the latest restructuring data, the Secunderabad Division currently spans ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: Political parties across the spectrum in Odisha on Friday voiced strong opposition to the Railway Board's decision to exclude the Palasa-Ichchapuram rail section from the jurisdiction of the East Coast Railway (ECoR) and merge it with the proposed South Coast Railway (SCoR) zone, demanding an immediate rollback. The stretch, currently administered under the Khurda Road division of ECoR, has been proposed to be brought under the Visakhapatnam division of the upcoming SCoR zone, according to an official communication issued by the Railway Board. Raising concerns over the move, BJD ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar, April 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) Amid growing protests over the merger of the Palasa-Ichchapuram section with the newly created South Coast Railway (SCoR) zone, the Indian Railways on Sunday issued a clarification stating that the move will not affect the revenue earnings of East Coast Railway (ECoR) or disrupt train services on the route. In an official statement, the South Coast Railway said the Palasa-Ichchapuram section, stretching around 50 km, comprises seven stations -- Palasa, Summadevi, Mandasa Road, Baruva, Sompeta, Jhadupudi and Ichchapuram. It added that all these stations ar ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: Amid the row over transfer of Ichchapuram-Palasa section from Khurda Road railway division to the proposed Visakhapatnam division of South Coast Railway (SCoR), commerce and transport minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena on Saturday said the new administrative arrangement will not compromise Odisha's interest in any manner.Protecting Odisha's interests and strengthening railway connectivity is our priority. "Not even an inch of Odisha's railway track will go to any other state. Since there is no major freight transport station in the Palasa-Ichchhapuram section, it will have no impact on ...Read More >
The Railway Board's decision to bring the Palasa-Ichchapuram section under the South Coast Railway (SCoR) zone is facing opposition in Odisha, with leaders from both the ruling BJP and the Opposition BJD demanding a rollback. The Palasa-Ichchapuram stretch, though geographically located in Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam district, has been administered under the Khurda Road division of East Coast Railway (ECoR), which is headquartered in Bhubaneswar, since ECoR's creation in 1996 under Prime Ministe ...Read More >
New Delhi/ Srikakulam: The Railway Board has issued orders transferring seven railway stations, located between Ichchapuram and Palasa in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh under the Khurda Division of the East Coast Railway Zone, to the Visakhapatnam Division of the South Coast Railway Zone. Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu shared the news through a social media post on Friday. In this regard, on behalf of the people of Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh, the Minister expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, and the Railway Board for considering ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: Shrinking of the East Coast Railway (ECoR) jurisdiction due to transfer of Ichchapuram-Palasa section from Khurda Road railway division to the proposed Visakhapatnam division of South Coast Railway (SCoR) evoked strong reactions from Congress, BJD and other organisations on Friday.BJD's Rajya Sabha member Sasmit Patra in a letter to railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday strongly opposed this railway move. "This decision impacts Odisha, a state that contributes significantly to Indian Railways' freight earnings through coal, minerals, and industrial output," he added.He said ...Read More >
BHUBANESWAR: The East Coast Railway (ECoR) has retained its position as top freight handling zone of Indian Railways in 2025-26 fiscal, registering a whopping freight load of over 286 million tonne. The ECoR has also generated a gross revenue of over Rs 32,766 crore, achieving first position in apportioned gross revenue generation among all the zones with a collection of Rs 25,911.85 crore in last fiscal. The gross revenue regeneration was about 10.36 per cent more compared to Rs 26,691.82 crore registered in 2024-25 fiscal. Addressing mediapersons here ECoR general manager Parmeshwar Funkwa ...Read More >
BHUBANESWAR: Amid protests over merger of the Palasa-Ichchapuram section of East Coast Railway (ECoR) with newly-created South Coast Railway (SCoR), railway officials on Sunday clarified that the move will not affect the revenue of ECoR zone. The ECoR in its clarification stated that the Palasa-Ichchapuram section stretching about 50 km, consists of seven stations such as Palasa, Summadevi, Mandasa Road, Baruva, Sompeta, Jhadupudi and Ichchapuram. "All these stations are located in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh. Besides, these stations are small to mid-sized and largely handling pass ...Read More >
Visakhapatnam: In view of the cyclonic storm 'Montha', India Meteorological Department issued red and orange alerts in over 20 districts in Andhra Pradesh on Monday. With the deep depression over Bay of Bengal likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm by Monday (October 27) and later into a severe cyclonic storm the following day, the wind speed is expected to cross 90-100 kmph. Several parts of coastal Andhra Pradesh to witness scattered heavy to very heavy rainfall, including Srikakulam, Parva ...Read More >
HYDERABAD Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao has written to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw urging the immediate creation of a new railway division with its headquarters at Kazipet in Telangana. In the letter shared with the media, Mr. Rama Rao drew attention to the ongoing restructuring of the South Central Railway and the operationalisation of the South Coast Railway (ScoR), which, he said, has placed an excessive administrative and operational burden on the ...Read More >
VISAKHAPATNAM: In a significant development for the South Coast Railway Zone, the Railway Board has transferred the Palasa-Ichchapuram section, along with seven railway stations, to the Visakhapatnam Division. The seven stations Palasa, Summadevi, Mandasa Road, Baruva, Sompeta, Jadupudi and Ichchapuram will now come under the South Coast Railway Zone headquartered in Visakhapatnam. Until now, the stretch was under the Khurda Division of the East Coast Railway Zone in Odisha. With the latest orders, the section will be brought under the Visakhapatnam Division. Directions have been issued to t ...Read More >
New Delhi: On preparation of railways during festive season, Executive Director, Information & Publicity, Railway Board, Dilip Kumar said, "...Indian Railways has made comprehensive plans to operate more than 12,000 trains this year on the occasion of Diwali and Chhath Puja. In the past few days, through the trains we have operated, we have facilitated around 1 crore passengers solely through special trains... The main objective of running these trains is to provide convenience to the large numbe ...Read More >
HYDERABAD: BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Wednesday urged the Centre to form a new railway division in Telangana with Kazipet as its headquarters. In a letter to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the BRS leader highlighted that the ongoing restructuring within the South Central Railway and operationalisation of the South Coast Railway has placed an excessive operational burden on the Secunderabad Division. As per the latest restructuring data, the Secunderabad Division currently spans 2,755 track kilometres, which is expected to expand to approximately 3,150 track kilometres with the a ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar, Apr 5 (PTI) The East Coast Railway (ECoR) on Sunday said that its revenue generation will remain unaffected even after the transfer of Palasa-Ichchapuram section to the South Coast Railway (SCoR). The ECoR issued this clarification after all opposition political parties in Odisha, including BJD and Congress, announced that they would jointly protest the Railway Board's decision to transfer the Palasa-Ichchapuram section to the SCoR. The ECoR in a statement said that Palasa-Ichchapuram Section (about 50 km) consists of 7 stations - Palasa, Summadevi, Mandasa Road, Baruva, Sompeta ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], April 5 (ANI): The Indian Railways on Sunday announced the creation of the South Coast Railway (SCoR) Zone, with its headquarters at Visakhapatnam, clarifying concerns regarding stations in the Srikakulam district. A factual note from the Railways stated that the Palasa-Ichchapuram section, spanning approximately 50 km, comprises seven stations -- Palasa, Summadevi, Mandasa Road, Baruva, Sompeta, Jhadupudi, and Ichchapuram -- all located in the Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, with none situated in Odisha. Also Read | UP Government Launches 'Safe Mobility Program', O ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar, Apr 3 (PTI) The BJD and the Congress on Friday opposed the Railway Board's decision to exclude the Palasa-Ichchapuram section from ECoR jurisdiction and demanded a rollback of the move. The decision has also not been welcomed by a section of leaders of the ruling BJP. The Palasa-Ichchapuram section is currently under the administration of the Khurda Road division within the East Coast Railway (ECoR), and the board decided to merge the stretch with the newly formed South Coast Railway (SCoR) zone. In a letter to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, BJD MP Sasmit Patra said the dec ...Read More >