BHUBANESHWAR: Differences of opinion has cropped up between the Centre and the state government over the place at which the memorandum of understanding (MoU) should be signed for development of Bhubaneswar railway station.
While the railway minister Piyush Goyal wants the MoU to be signed at Rail Bhavan, New Delhi on May 23, chief minister Naveen Patnaik today proposed that the MoU should be signed at Bhubaneswar on a mutually convenient date.
“As the project is of immense importance to the citizens of the city for which the state government is committed to fully bear the expenses for development of a modern and world class station, I, would, therefore, like to propose that the MoU may be signed at Bhubaneswar on a mutually convenient date,” Naveen said in a letter to Goyal.
“As you are aware, the state government has already offered to develop a modern railway station building with international class passenger amenities in the capital city of Bhubaneswar,” Naveen said and added, “As agreed, the modern station facility is planned to be built on land belonging to state government and is already designed as a multi-modal hub which will be seamlessly integrated with the surrounding smart city development.”
Stating that the government has already engaged M/s Subarna Jurong of Singapore, a design firm of international repute, for this purpose, the chief minister said one of the defining features of the proposed plan is to connect both sides of railway station through a very wide concourse for giving complete new experience to the passengers. “This will involve construction over the platforms and railway lines,” he said.
The chief minister said the MoU that was proposed to be signed on January 20, 2018 envisaged taking up of the project in two phases. “As it could not be signed and the project has already been delayed considerably, it proposed by the state government that the whole project may be taken up in one phase,” he said.
Naveen said the railways should expeditiously approve signing of a revised MoU which the state government has proposed.
The railway minister had written a letter to the chief minister on April 27, 2018 proposing that the MoU would be signed at Rail Bhavan, New Delhi on May 23 for development of Bhubaneswar railway
station.