BHUBANESWAR: Doubts over establishment of wagon repair factories in Odisha continued with the State Government and Railways Ministry on Saturday deciding to set up a joint working group (JWG) to resolve the issue.
The issue cropped up during a meeting between Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu here. After the meeting, Prabhu said the JWG will take a decision in one and a half months on how to make both the projects at Sitalapalli in Ganjam district and Narla in Kalahandi district commercially viable and economically feasible.
The Railway Minister’s observations came in the backdrop of the recent protest against the Indian Railways’ reported decision to shift the proposed rail wagon repair factory from Narla in Kalahandi district to Visakhapatnam.
The Chief Minister had shot off a letter to Prabhu requesting him to clarify on the issue while the Congress had organised a bandh in Kalahandi district on April 6. The Railway Minister said earlier, projects were announced without looking into their feasibility and commercial viability. The UPA Government had announced a rail wagon repair factory at Narla in Kalahandi in 2013.
Prabhu also announced that the Railway Ministry and the State Government will create a new company to ensure timely completion of projects in Odisha. He said the NDA Government in its two rail budgets has made adequate allocation for rail infrastructure development in the State.
“This year, we have allocated `6,000 crore and plan to invest more in the State,” he said. The Chief Minister had shot off a letter to Prabhu requesting him to clarify on the issue while the Congress had organised a bandh in Kalahandi district on April 6.
The Railway Minister said earlier, projects were announced without looking into their feasibility and commercial viability. The UPA Government had announced a rail wagon repair factory at Narla in Kalahandi in 2013.
Prabhu also announced that the Railway Ministry and the State Government will create a new company to ensure timely completion of projects in Odisha. He said the NDA Government in its two rail budgets has made adequate allocation for rail infrastructure development in the State. “This year, we have allocated `6,000 crore and plan to invest more in the State,” he said.
Describing his meeting with the Railway Minister as fruitful, the Chief Minister said he has requested Prabhu to consider the Malkangiri-Nabarangpur railway line project. “It has been decided to have video conferencing on rail projects on alternate months to sort out matters,” he said.
Naveen also thanked Prabhu and Railway Ministry for selecting Bhubaneswar as the second railway station in the country to get wi-fi facility. “Germany and France will provide technical support for the services in Indian Railways,” said Prabhu who is on a two-day visit to the State to attend the railway week national award function.
Soon after his arrival here, the Railway Minister said it is for the first time that such a huge investment has been proposed for Odisha in the railway budget.
Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha also arrived on a two-day visit to Odisha to attend the railway week national award function.