BHUBANESWAR: With focus on fast-paced industrial development, the State government has planned to strengthen road, railways and civil aviation infrastructure in order to provide best-of-the-class transport services.As per the draft proposal on Medium Term State Infrastructure Expenditure Framework (MIF), an estimated Rs 6,367.34 crore will be spent on the transport infrastructure in the State between 2022-23 and 2026-27.
The Commerce and Transport department has planned to prioritise the upgradation of the infrastructure for civil aviation and railways sectors as well as the road transport in the next five years. A new greenfield airport has been proposed near Berhampur in Ganjam with an investment of Rs 200 crore and upgradation of Birasal airport in Dhenkanal with an estimated Rs 380 crore besides a new airstrip at Malkangiri at a cost of Rs 50 crore. While Rs 100 crore has been reserved for land acquisition for the Berhampur airport, Rs 50 crore will be used for civil works like the runway, boundary wall and Rs 50 crore for the construction of terminal building and ATC tower.
“The airport at Birasal will be developed as a world-class pilot training centre and it will be a one stop destination for students, who are now opting foreign institutes for advance training due to lack of such training facilities in the country,” said a Transport department official.
The State government has also proposed Rs 300 crore for construction of a new greenfield airport at Puri. An estimated Rs 150 crore will be spent for land acquisition of private land, Rs 75 crore for construction of runway and boundary wall and Rs 75 crore for construction of terminal building and ATC tower.
At least 20 truck terminals will be developed at a cost of Rs 100 crore to avoid illegal parking on NH, SH, port and mining areas as a measure of road safety and benefit of drivers. An estimated Rs 824 crore has been proposed for construction of bus terminals in 314 blocks during the five-year period.
In the railways sector, in principle approval has been received for 18 km Barbil-Banspani new rail link with loading station at Bhadrasahi, which will augment evacuation of iron ore, at an estimated cost of Rs 433.2 crore.
The 142 km Bargarh-Nuapada via Padamapur new rail line to be constructed at an estimated Rs 700 crore has been approved. Similarly, Brahmapur-Sambalpur, Puri-Konark, Gunupur-Therubali new rail lines and Paradip-Dhamra rail link have been approved. While the Gunupur-Therubali line will be built at a cost of Rs 1,600 crore, Paradip-Dhamra project will cost Rs 1,472.14 crore. “The MIF proposals were recently discussed at a high level meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary. The development of the three sectors will benefit people and generate revenue,” the official added.