77 years of waiting, an unfulfilled hope, will the fate of Simdega run on track now?:

News India Live, Digital Desk: Imagine, a place where three generations have only heard in stories what the sound of a train sounds like. For the children there, the train is still a wonderful thing to see when they go to another city. This is the story of Simdega district of Jharkhand, which is still waiting for its first railway line even after 77 years of independence. This wait is not just for a track, but for development, employment and hopes for a better future.

But now this drought of decades seems to be ending. The new schemes and surveys of the Central Government have once again lit the flame of hope in the minds of the people of Simdega that perhaps now their coming generation will not have to go 50-100 kilometers away to Rourkela to catch a train.

Why has Simdega lagged so far behind?

Many tribal dominated districts of Jharkhand like Simdega, Gumla, Khunti have always been left behind in this race of development. After independence, these areas often remained missing from the priority list of governments. Difficult geographical location and lack of political will never allowed these mineral rich districts to join the mainstream. The absence of a rail line meant:

• Distance from market: The farmers and people collecting forest produce here were never able to transport their goods to big cities.
• Deprivation of education and health: Going out for better studies or treatment was a big challenge, which wasted both time and money.
• Lack of employment: No big industry or factory wanted to come to an area where there was no transport facility.

How will one rail line change millions of lives?

This will not just be a means of transport but a lifeline. With the construction of the proposed Lohardaga-Gumla-Simdega and Rourkela-Simdega railway lines:

• The hockey players here, who are earning name in the country and the world, will find it easier to go out.
• The vegetables and forest produce here will directly get the market in big cities, which will increase the income of the farmers.
• Local business will gain wings and new employment opportunities will be created.
• Access to cities like Ranchi, Rourkela will become easy and affordable for students and patients.

The people of Simdega know that such schemes were made earlier also and got buried in the files. But this time the survey and the government’s activism have raised a new and strong hope. If this dream comes true, it will not just be the arrival of a train in one district, but it will be the fulfillment of 77 years of unfulfilled promises.