This Odisha village gets a railway station, no electricity in village

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated the Balangir-Bichhupali railway line in Odisha that has been built at a cost of Rs 115 crore.

Bichhupali in Balangir district has a population of 20. One of the smallest villages in Odisha gets a railway station named after it.

The station is the only visible government intervention in the village. Bichhupali doesn’t have a school or electricity.

The station is located 15km from the Balangir station, and will be part of the upcoming 289km Khurda-Balangir line. The project, sanctioned in 1994-95, will link Boudh, Sonepur and Nayagarh districts with Bhubaneswar and Balangir.

“In my childhood, there were 28 families, including snakecharmers, Brahmins and Karanas. Those who prospered moved to Balangir. Farmers shifted to Jhar Balangir which has electricity and ponds. Some, like me, remained here because my land is here,” a native said.

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