CPM to launch economic blockade in Orissa

Bhubaneswar,Mar 07 (UNI) The CPM Orissa unit today threatened to launch economic blockade in the state as the Railway ministry failed to give due importance to the state in the budget.

Announcing this at a news conference here CPM state secretary Janardan Pati said the party would submit a memorandum to the Railway Minister on March 10 urging him to enhance the allocation to Orissa to complete all the major ongoing railway projects.

''If the Railway Minister does not pay any heed to the demands the party will resort to economic blockade from March 19 and stop the movement of goods trains in the state,'' he said.

Mr Pati said the party had earlier demanded that the budgetary allocation for Orissa be fixed at Rs 1600 crores but the Railway ministry had allocated Rs 600 odd crores while ignoring the demand for completion of some of the major projects in the state.

The CPM leader said passenger trains would be allowed to run during the agitation and only the movement of goods trains would be stalled to put pressure on the Railway ministry to concede to the demands.

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