BHUBANESWAR:The State Government on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Railways in New Delhi for construction of the Daspalla-Balangir segment of Khurda Road-Balangir rail line on cost-sharing basis.
As per the agreement, the cost for implementation of Daspalla-Balangir segment of Khurda Road and Balangir new broad gauge line will be shared equally between the State and the Centre. The State Government has agreed to provide the required land free of cost.
The cost of the 177-km long Daspalla-Balangir route is estimated at Rs 2,000 crore and the project will be completed in six years.
“Apart from sharing the cost of the project, the State will bear additional cost of Rs 355 crore towards compensation for acquisition of private land,” said Minister of State for Commerce and Transport Ramesh Chandra Majhi after the MoU singing ceremony.
Of the total length of 289-km of this railway line, work on 32 km (Khurda to Begunia) has been completed and this was opened by flagging off a passenger train by Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on July 16.
The agreement was signed by Executive Director (Works), Ministry of Railways, Ved Prakash Dudeja and Commerce and Transport Secretary Sanjay Rastogi in the presence of Suresh Prabhu, Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha, Assembly Speaker Niranjan Pujari and five BJD MPs.
Assuring that Railways will complete the projects expeditiously, Prabhu asked the Railway Board officials to implement all railway projects using the management practice of PERT (project evaluation and review technique) to maintain timelines in implementing the projects.
“We are working on setting up a dedicated company for implementation of railway projects in collaboration with Odisha Government. I have already held discussions with the Chief Minister of Odisha who has agreed for the same,” Prabhu said.
Railway Board Chairman A K Mital said this agreement will go a long way in infrastructure development in the State. The project will be completed in three years after handing over the land by the State.
State to Provide Land Free of Cost
The cost of the 177-km long Daspalla-Balangir route is estimated at Rs 2,000 crore and the project will be completed in six years
Of the total length of 289-km of this railway line, work on 32 km (Khurda to Begunia) has been completed
Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu asks the Railway Board officials to implement all railway projects using the management practice of PERT (project evaluation and review technique) to maintain timelines in implementing the projects