and Rail Expansion for Santhal Pargana
KUMAR PRABHAT
DUMKA
Former MLA Sita Murmu Soren has mounted a fierce campaign against administrative apathy in Santhal Pargana, petitioning both the Governor of Jharkhand and the Union Railway Minister to address the region’s acute developmental crisis.
In a formal letter to the Governor, the former Women and Child Development Committee chairperson highlighted severe deficiencies in basic amenities across the sub-capital region. She pointed out that despite its rich natural resource base, Santhal Pargana grapples with frequent power outages, low voltage, a deepening water crisis, and dilapidated roads. The public social sector remains equally strained, with government schools suffering from severe teacher shortages and local hospitals lacking essential medicines and attending physicians, forcing patients to seek medical care in distant cities like Ranchi.
To enforce administrative accountability, Soren urged the Governor to camp at the Dumka Raj Bhavan during the holy month of Shravan. She emphasized that his presence would streamline governance, curb corruption, and ensure better public management for the millions of pilgrims visiting the region’s holy sites.
Extending her appeal to regional infrastructure, Soren also wrote to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, pressing for expanded rail services from Dumka Railway Station. Citing the hardships faced by students, traders, and patients, she demanded the launch of a flagship ‘Dumka Express’ along with direct train links to major hubs, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Asansol, Rampurhat, and Jasidih. Additionally, she called for special pilgrim trains during the Shravan festival to boost regional tourism and economic growth.
