BHUBANESWAR: Even as low expenditure of funds in railway projects remains a concern, ongoing railway line projects and other sectors received adequate funding in the 2017-18 in the central budget for the railway sector. Besides, setting up of electric loco periodical overhauling workshop and freight train maintenance facilities with routine overhauling facility for frieght wagons were announced to be set up in Kalahandi and Sambalpur districts respectively. Allocation of Odisha for the railway sector was Rs 5102 crore in 2017-18 compared to Rs 4682 crore.
Allocation of Odisha for the railway sector was Rs 5102 crore in 2017-18 compared to Rs 4682 crore in 2016-17. While the loco periodical overhauling workshop will be set up at an estimated cost of Rs 186.37 crore, the maintenance facilities for frieght wagon will be established at a cost of Rs 49.16 crore, general manager of East Coast Railway (ECR) Umesh Singh told mediapersons here today. Singh said that the wagon manufacturing factory announced in the 2012 railway bugdet is likely to be taken up in 2019 when the demand for wagons will again increase. The wagon manufacturing unit at Sitapalli announced in the budget along with similar factories at four other places are yet to take off because of lack of demand for wagons, he said.
Besides, survey for 11 new lines were declared for Odisha in the budget. The surveys announced include for the 35 kilometer new line between Bhawanipatna-Kensinga via Utkela, preliminary engineering-cum-traffic surveys for 132 kilometer Sambalpur-Jarapada (3rd line) and 48 kilometer Jharsuguda-Sambalpur (3rd and 4th line). Singh said five new railway line projects were announced in the budget for Odisha. The new lines announced include, extension of Naupada-Gunupur new line upto Theruvali having a length of 79.15 kilometers with an allocation of Rs 935.72 crore, 155.5 kilometer Gopalpur-Singapur Road via Padampur, Ramanguda, Bankili with an investment of Rs 2000 crore, 220 kilometer Talcher-Gopalpur with cost estimate of Rs 2800 crore and 45 kilometer Badampahar-Bangiriposi line with an estimate of Rs 900 crore.
All the new railway lines will be implemented in the joint sector between the Railways and Odisha government. Allocation for the ongoing railway line projects include, Rs 700 crore for 289 kilometer Khurda Road-Bolangir line, Rs 275 crore for 38 kilometer Jeypore-Nabarangpur line, Rs 250 crore for 154 kilometer Talcher-Bimlagarh line, Rs 200 crore each for 98.7 kilometer Angul-Sukinda line and 82 kilometer Haridaspur-Paradip line, Rs 79 crore for 127 kilometer Jeypore-Malkangiri line, Rs 5 crore for Lanjigarh Road-Junagarh line and Rs 1.5 crore for 155 kilometer Daitari-Banspani line.
Several doubling of railway line projects have also received funds which include Rs 340.3 crore for 174.11 kilometer Sambalpur-Talcher line, Rs 200 crore for 182.11 kilometer Sambalpur-Titlagarh line, Rs 140 crore for 180 kilometer Banspani-Daitari-Tomka-Jakhapura line and Rs 50 crore for 12 kilometer Khurda-Barang line. Singh said nine road over bridges and road under bridges with an cost estimate of Rs 671.78 crore has been sanctioned. The projects will be implemented jointly with the state government. The railway's share in these projects will be Rs 308.06 crore.