Rail projects worth Rs 50,000 crores in progress in Odisha
BHUBANESWAR: As many as 36 projects worth Rs 49,984 crore sanctioned for construction of 4,567 km railway line falling fully or partly in Odisha are under different stages of planning, approval or execution.
According to data presented by Minister for Railways, Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, 10 new line projects covering a length of 1,269 km are being built at a cost of Rs 16,598 crore.
“Nearly 80 km of new line has been commissioned and an expenditure of Rs 4,260 crore has been incurred till March 2019. Of 140 km of gauge conversion taken up at a cost of Rs 1,349 crore, 90 km has been commissioned and Rs 191 crore has been spent,” he said.
Similarly, 25 doubling projects with a length of 3,159 km are being implemented at a cost of Rs 32,037 crore. While 494 km of double lines has been commissioned, an expenditure of Rs 8,246 crore has been incurred till March this year.
The Ministry of Railways has taken up work of Khurda Road-Balangir new line at a cost of Rs 3,798.8 crore. While expenditure has been incurred upto March is Rs 1,327.09 crore, an outlay of Rs 350 crore has been provided in the Budget 2019-20, he informed.
The 289 km project is divided into two parts. The first part up to 112 km is fully funded by the Railways and the second part from 112 km to 289 km is on a cost-sharing basis, in which the land is to be provided free of cost by Odisha Government along with 50 per cent cost of construction.
“So far, 92 km of the project has been completed and commissioned. Land acquisition has been taken up and forest clearance obtained for balance work,” Goyal said while responding to a question from Balangir MP Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo.
The Minister said timely completion of any railway project depends on various factors, including quick land acquisition by State Government, forest clearance, shifting of infringing utilities and statutory clearances from various authorities. However, the Ministry is monitoring at various levels by holding regular meetings with the officials of State Government and authorities concerned to resolve the issues that are obstructing the progress of projects, he added.
Railway infrastructure
10 new line projects
1,269 km total length
Rs 16,598 cr project cost
80 km line commissioned