Bhubaneswar: A group of Odisha MPs on Tuesday urged Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to intervene in a long-pending land dispute involving the Railway Employees Cultural Association (RECA) in Kharagpur, West Bengal.
The delegation, led by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, met Vaishnaw in New Delhi and submitted a memorandum seeking resolution of the issue related to the allocation of nearly 5,915 square metres of railway land in the New Settlement area of the city.
According to an official statement, the matter has remained unresolved for over three decades. The MPs recalled that Odisha legislators had first written to the prime minister on March 8, 1999, while former Union minister Debendra Pradhan had also raised the issue with then Minister of State for Railways Ram Naik later that month.
The parliamentarians highlighted that RECA has been instrumental in fostering cultural cohesion, social welfare, and promoting Odia heritage among railway employees in Kharagpur, with activities centred around the Shri Jagannath Temple.
Citing an internal railway assessment, Pradhan noted that the association has been in long-term possession of the land, where institutions such as schools, temples, and other community facilities have already been developed.
He added that officials, including the Divisional Railway Manager of South Eastern Railway, have recommended regularisation of the land. However, formal allotment in RECA’s name is still pending.
The MPs have appealed to Vaishnaw to treat the matter as a “special case” and expedite its resolution, stating that a permanent settlement would benefit railway employees from across the country residing in Kharagpur while strengthening social harmony.
