BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has requested the Centre for commissioning of the Haridaspur-Paradip new broad gauge line for passenger traffic in August.
“I request you to accord necessary approvals and certifications as required so that a passenger train can flagged off on this new line at the earliest,” Naveen wrote in a letter to Railway Minister Piyush Goyal.
He said while most work for commissioning of the line is now completed, running of passenger train can be finalised to fulfill the aspirations of people of Kendrapara who have not seen a passenger train yet.
Stating that it is important to understand the connectivity needs of people, Naveen said the Odisha Government has waived stamp duty, registration fee and also premium on the land besides providing direct equity support for the project.
The railway project is being executed through SPV company called Haridaspur Paradip Railway Company Limited (HPRCL), in which Government of Odisha, Ministry of Shipping and Indian Railways have equity shares.
The 82-km line will connect Kendrapara district to the railway map for the first time. The SPV company has already recommended to the Ministry of Railways for approval for running passenger trains.