BHUBANESWAR: The State government has proposed to utilise funds from the District Mineral Foundation Trust (DMFT) of Keonjhar to complete the Bansapani-Barbil new rail project, which has been hanging fire for the last five years due to financial constraints. The Commerce and Transport department has requested Keonjhar Collector, who is also the managing trustee of DMFT to consider the new rail line project for funding from DMF.
“After conducting traffic study of the 18 km Bansapani-Barbil new line, Odisha Rail Infrastructure Development Limited (ORIDL), a State government-led join venture company with Indian Railways, has proposed to execute the short link railway line, if it can be funded entirely from DMF,” a letter from the department said.
The proposed rail line will provide direct connectivity to iron ore loading stations on Noamundi-Bolani section to Bansapani under Chakradharpur division of South Eastern Railway (SER) for onward movement of minerals to steel plants and ports of the State for export. “It will open doors for mines located in the immediate vicinity of the project alignment. Besides, the running time of Puri-Barbil Express train can be reduced by 30 minutes via the new line,” the letter said.
As per DMF guidelines, construction of roads, bridges, railways and waterways are permissible for funding under other priority activities. The estimated cost of the proposed rail line between Barbil and Bansapani is Rs 363.38 crore. A passenger train from Puri to Rourkela via Barbil is running on Jakhpura-Banspani route since 2009.
However, the passengers face inconvenience as they have to travel an extra 70 km and spend four hours more as the train has to pass through neighbouring Jharkhand to reach Barbil from Bansapani due to the small missing link, said a member of the Barbil Bikash Parishad which has been fighting for the missing link for a long time.
The State government has been requesting the Ministry of Railways for budgetary provision for the new line since the project was sanctioned in 2016-17. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has been pursuing the Bansapani-Barbil project along with Burhamura-Chakulia and Gunupur-Theruveli rail links with the Railway Ministry since 2014 to ensure seamless flow of traffic between industrial and mining areas and ports.