BHUBANESWAR: The first Railway Budget of the Narendra Modi Government made an allocation of Rs 1,420.98 crore for Odisha against Rs 868.8 crore in 2013-14 giving rise to mixed reactions in the State. Though allocation for the ongoing projects in the State has increased, it has fallen short of expectation of the State Government, which had demanded Rs 3,160 crore in 2014-15 budget.
Of the 37 new Express trains announced in the budget, only four trains have been sanctioned for Odisha. Besides, one passenger train and one DEMU have been announced for the State. The State Government had requested introduction of 31 new trains for Odisha.
The new trains announced for Odisha are Shalimar-Chennai premium AC train, Kamakhya-Bengaluru premium AC train, Paradip-Howrah weekly express train and Paradip-Visakhapatnam weekly express train. Out of the 11 trains which have been extended, only one, Howrah-Beldah MEMU train extended to Jaleswar, has been allotted for Odisha.
There is a proposal for survey of only one new line between Nayagarh-Banspani, though 18 new surveys have been announced in the budget. However, Khurda Road-Balangir railway line project, incomplete for so many years, has been allocated Rs 100 crore against Rs 60 crore in the 2013-14 budget.
Provision of Rs 187 crore has been made for Haridaspur-Paradip railway line project, an all-time high, against Rs 72.46 crore last year, while Angul-Duburi-Sukinda Road project has got Rs 100 crore. The Talcher-Bimlagarh railway line project, which had got a token allocation of Rs 5 crore last year, has been provided `100 crore in the budget this year.
Daitari-Banspani, Lanjigarh Road-Junagarh and Jaleswar-Digha railway line projects have been provided Rs11.93 crore, Rs10 crore and Rs 5 crore respectively. Gauge conversions of Rupsa-Bangiriposhi and Nuapada-Gunupur railway lines have received Rs 5.65 crore as against Rs 1.34 crore last year. An all-time high of Rs 653.79 crore has been allotted for doubling of 20 railway lines in the State.
Besides, a provision of Rs 2 crore has been made for wagon factory at Sitapalli in Ganjam district.