BHUBANESWAR: Odisha has achieved its highest-ever railway budget utilisation in a financial year, with more than 81 per cent of the allocated funds already spent in 2024-25.
Of the Rs 10,586 crore budget allocations for various railway projects in the state, Rs 8,657.23 crore has been utilised till January. Sources said accelerated pace of railway projects including track expansion, electrification, construction of new lines, station modernisation, and safety upgrades has led to the substantial expenditure of around 81.78 per cent of the allocated budget in the last 10 months.
Among major projects, the state was allocated Rs 1,160 crore (revised estimate) for Khurda Road-Balangir new line project, Rs 500 crore for 154 km Talcher-Bimlagarh line, Rs 235 crore for 38 km Jeypore-Nabarangpur line and Rs 223 crore for 130 km Jeypore-Malkangiri line.
The expenditure on the ongoing Khurda Road-Balangir project in the current fiscal stood at Rs 913 crore. Sanctioned in 1994-95, the project had faced delays due to land acquisition challenges. The work is progressing steadily with major approvals and permits now in place after the Odisha government facilitated land acquisition.
East Coast Railway (ECoR) sources said the overall expenditure is expected to cross Rs 1,100 crore by the end of this financial year and it will be the highest expenditure on a single project in a year. “The target was to construct around 74 km in Khurda Road-Balangir project this fiscal. It has been achieved as the section between Sonepur and Purunakatak has already been completed creating a major milestone in the long-pending project. The remaining about 75 km Purunakatak-Dasapalla section is expected to be completed in a year,” said a railway official.
Similarly, 34 km of the 154 km Talcher-Bimlagarh project, 115 km stretch of the 264 km Vizianagaram to Sambalpur third line, 28 km of the 80 km Bhadrak-Nergundi third line and 86 km of the Budhapank-Salegaon third and fourth line work have been completed so far. The highest Rs 950 crore was allotted for Vizianagaram-Sambalpur third line, Rs 450 crore for Budhapank-Salegaon and Rs 223 crore for Bhadrak-Nergundi third line.
Redevelopment of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Puri railway stations has been fast-tracked with more than half of the project work completed. Of an estimated Rs 398 crore sanctioned in 2022 for the city railway station, over Rs 269 crore has been spent, and 60 per cent of the project has been completed. Apart from this, Rs 50 crore has been spent at Puri railway station and Rs 168.39 crore at Cuttack.
“Eight new railway projects amounting to Rs 18,118 crore and five major rail flyovers with an estimate of Rs 1,173.12 crore have been sanctioned in 2024-25. These projects will be completed on priority,” the official added.