Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw stated on Friday that Rs 700 million has been allocated for the establishment of the Rayagada railway division. He informed the media in New Delhi, following a discussion with Nabarangpur MP Balabhadra Majhi, that the design plan for the railway division is in the final stages, and construction work will commence soon after the tenders are finalized. Vaishnaw highlighted that the Rayagada railway division is expected to bring significant benefits to the region by enhancing connectivity and promoting economic growth. He noted that this development demonstrates the government's commitment to improving infrastructure and providing better services to the public. Before the 2019 elections, the Centre had approved the bifurcation of the Waltair division of East Coast Railway (ECoR) to create the new South Coast Railway (SCoR) zone. This new railway zone includes the Guntakal, Guntur, and Vijayawada divisions, while the Waltair division was split into two parts: one part merged with the Vijayawada division, and the other was converted into a new division with headquarters in Rayagada under ECoR. Majhi expressed his appreciation to the railway minister for addressing the long-awaited issue of the Rayagada railway division. He expressed hope that construction work would begin promptly once the formalities for the formation of the new division are completed.