Rayagada: The long-awaited Rayagada Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Division, officially announced on February 28, 2019, is yet to be made functional. Although its formal inauguration was scheduled for January 6, 2025, by the Prime Minister, more than nine months have passed without any official update from the Railway Ministry or the East Coast Railway (ECoR).

The proposed DRM Division at Rayagada was expected to bring administrative efficiency, better passenger services and improved coordination for freight operations in southern Odisha. The decision was widely welcomed by local industries, traders and residents across Rayagada, Koraput and neighboring districts, who saw it as a major step toward regional connectivity and development.

However, the delay in implementing the division has led to growing uncertainty. Stakeholders have expressed concern that while Visakhapatnam Division continues to receive the royalties and revenue from the Rayagada region, the new division’s administrative framework has not yet been activated.

Civil society members and public representatives have appealed for transparency on the matter. They emphasise that the creation of the Rayagada DRM Division was not merely an administrative reform but a reflection of people’s long-standing aspiration for equitable development in the region.

“Rayagada has been a major railway junction for decades. The new division would have ensured faster decisions and local accountability. We only hope that the government takes a timely and transparent step forward,” said a senior citizen and former railway employee from the district.