Politics hots up over Padampur railway link

Patra said after state government agreed to provide free land and Rs 300 crore for the project, the railways instead of doing the work, has asked a state agency to do further survey.
BJD MP Sasmit Patra (File photo | EPS)
BJD MP Sasmit Patra (File photo | EPS)

BHUBANESWAR: Politics over the rail link to Padampur has further intensified ahead of the bypoll to the constituency, with BJD asking BJP to apologise to the people for misleading them over the issue.

Addressing a media conference here on Monday, BJD Rajya Sabha member Sasmit Patra said that the letter from Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to Minister for Commerce and Transport Tukuni Sahu has proved that Bargarh-Nuapada rail line via Padampur was approved in December 2021 and not in 2018 as announced by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at a public meeting.

While Pradhan had claimed that the railway project was approved by the Centre in December 2018, Vaishnaw in his letter has stated that it was sanctioned in December 2021, he said and added BJP MP from Bargarh has also stated that the project was approved in December 2021.

Patra said after the state government agreed to provide free land and Rs 300 crore for the project, the railways instead of doing the work, has asked a state agency to do a further survey. “This is unacceptable. It seems railways is washing its hands off from doing any projects in Odisha,” he said.

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