BHUBANESWAR: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval for construction of fourth line between Jharsuguda and Bilaspur at an estimated cost of `1,973.46 crore and expected completion cost of `2,298.31 crore.
The 206-km long railway line is expected to be completed in five years.
This line will facilitate raw material transport to industries. Besides, the coal fields, limestone and dolomite mines, cement and steel plants in the region will have additional transport capacity to meet their requirement.
Jharsuguda district in the State and Raigarh, Janjgir-Naila and Bilaspur district of Chhattisgarh will be covered by this line.
Jharsuguda-Bilaspur route forms a part of Howrah-Mumbai trunk route passing through major industrial areas. This line plays an important role in transportation of freight and passenger traffic from Eastern and Southern regions to Northern and Western regions and vice versa.
In order to meet the growth in freight and passenger traffic, construction of fourth line on this route is essential.
The CCEA also approved development of three sections of National Highways in the State. The Nuapada-Bongamunda (68 km) section of NH-217, Bhojpur-Chatabar (61 km) section of NH-200 and Nabarangpur-Koksara (55 km) section of NH-201 have been sanctioned `742 crore.
The development of these NHs will benefit six western Odisha districts of Nuapada, Balangir, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Nabarangpur and Kalahandi, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said.
The cost of these projects has to be revised due to higher bid prices, increase in cost of land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation and other pre-construction activities, he added.