BHUBANESWAR: Even as the state government has been requesting the Centre for the development of the new fertiliser rake points with necessary infrastructure, the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers said Odisha has adequate railway rake points.
Responding to questions from BJP MP Jual Oram and BJD MP Anubhav Mohanty, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Bhagwanth Khuba said, there are over 41 fertilisers rake points distributed all over Odisha which are adequate for meeting the demand of transportation of fertilisers by rail to various locations in the state.
He said notification of new rake points by railway administration is considered on receipt of demand. “Whenever a demand for opening of railway rake point for fertiliser handling is received, Ministry of Railways examines the demand and if the point is operationally feasible and having required infrastructure, it is then notified and opened for fertiliser handling in iFMS system,” Khuba said.
To another question of MP Pinaki Mishra, Piyush Goyal, who was then the Union Railway Minister said that regular maintenance and improvement of infrastructure in existing rake points is a continuous process.
Infrastructure upgradation/modernisation of rake points in the country including Odisha is a need-based ongoing process subject to commercial justification, operational requirement, technical feasibility and resource availability.
“Feasibility of handling of full rake will be considered once traffic builds up subject to operational and technical feasibility,” Goyal said.