ROURKELA: After inordinate delay, the Sundargarh administration is planning to hand over the required government and private land for the Talcher-Bimlagarh rail line project in the district in next six to eight months and simultaneously pave way for construction from Bimlagarh side. The 149.700 km rail line was proposed across Angul, Deogarh and Sundargarh districts at an estimated Rs 1,928.70 crore in 2003-2004 but its progress has been tardy.
In Sundargarh district, the length of the project is 39.15 km requiring 247.52 acre private land and 138 acre government land under Koida, Lahunipada and Bonai tehsils. Sources said, 610.495 acre of private land against total requirement of 991 acre remains to be acquired in three districts while alienation of 260.667 acre government land against required 422 acre is due.
For about 663 acres of forest land, conditional approval is given for construction. Subject to handing over of balance of 610.495 acre private land and 260.667 acre government land by March 2022, the East Coast Railway (ECoR) has revised project completion target to 2025. After dragging its feet on the project, the government has swung into action after a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the Orissa High Court (HC) in September 2020 by the Talcher-Bimlagarh Rail Link Action Committee (TBRLAC).
The PIL hearing is scheduled for June 23. TBRLAC leader and CITU’s national Vice-President Bishnu Mohanty claimed that even after notices were issued by the court, the State government and ECoR have not yet submitted counter replies. He said the cost overrun would be nearly Rs 3,000 crore if the deadline extends till March 2025.
Another TBRLAC leader Bimal Bisi said after being sanctioned in 2003-04, only 17.62 km from Talcher to Sunakhani was completed, while work is underway for another 16.30 km between Sunakhani and Parabil. At this pace, it would take another 10 years, Bisi said, adding in February 2021 the Rail Ministry nominated 14 senior officers for monitoring 14 priority railway projects of ECoR, but the Talcher-Bimlagarh project was left out.
Commenting on the issue, Bonai Sub-Collector Pradeep Dang said the administration is expeditiously pursuing the land issue and is expected to alienate 138 acre government land and handover to ECoR in two months.