BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has asked the Revenue and Disaster Management Department to acquire 30 acres private land in Boudh district and handover the same to the railways for Khurda-Balangir rail link project. Officials in the Commerce and Transport department said the Revenue Department has been asked to acquire 11.85 acres land at Khajuripada village, 10.47 acres at Banapali village and 8.38 acres at Jharamunda village, all in Boudh, to allow railways take forward construction of Broad Gauge line of the rail link project in the district.
The Government has sanctioned funds required for the acquisition of these private lands in the district, the officials said. Work on the much-awaited rail link project that will connect Khurda Road railway station to Balangir in a shorter way through Daspalla is moving at a snail’s pace due to delay in land acquisition, mostly in Boudh where more than 2000 acres required for the project are yet to be handed over to the railways.
While the total length of Khurda-Balangir rail line is 289 km, work has been completed only on 66 km from Khurda Road to Nayagarh from Khurda side and 15 km from Balangir to Bichhupali from Balangir side. The State Government had sanctioned Rs 159 crore last year towards land acquisition compensation for Daspalla-Balangir segment, the stretch from 112 km to 289 km. However, the land acquisition process for this stretch is yet to be completed, sources said.
In February, Boudh district administration had handed over 26.18 acres private land to Balangir Railway Assistant Executive Engineer for construction of the rail track. Railway officials said land acquisition needs to be expedited to complete the project within 2021 deadline.