Lokmat News Network
Aurangabad, Sept 25:
The president of the Marathwada Railway Vikas Samiti Omprakash Varma, (75) who raised his voice for the railway development in Marathwada for the past 40 years died at MIT Hospital on Sunday morning. He is survived by his wife, son, four daughters, and grandchildren. Railway development remained his sole aim till the end of his life.
Varma started agitating for railway issues along with veteran leader Govindbhai Shroff. Then after, he led all the agitations for several railway issues. He used to say, he will be free to die once the railway route between Rotegaon and Kopargaon is accomplished. For which, he wrote a letter to the concerned authorities in his blood and along with Anant Borkar, Damodar Parikh and others also organised a long march in 2018. He also held several agitations at tehsil and collector offices. He contentiously pursued the railway issues like double line, electrification of routes, pit line, new trains, land acquisition and stop for Tapovan Express at Mukundwadi station. Several of these issues were resolved due to his efforts.
He has several awards to his credit including the prestigious Padmavibhushan Govindbhai Shroff Memorial Award instituted by Swami Ramanand Tirth Marathwada Research Institute and Nanded’s Sudhakar Doiphode award.