ROURKELA: AMID visible signs of land hurdles ebbing away, the East Coast Railways (ECoR) expects to float a global tender on turnkey basis for the balance stretch of 101 km of the much-delayed Talcher-Bimlagarh new rail line by the end of 2023.
Sources said if everything goes as expected, the entire project of 149.78 km would be completed by March 2026. A review meeting in this regard was held in Bhubaneswar on Thursday by Odisha chief secretary PK Jena along with ECoR officials including chief engineer Akshay Saxena where revenue divisional commissioner -northern division (RDC-ND) SC Dalei joined in virtual mode.
The revenue authorities stuck to the timeline of handing over all government and private lands in the Sundargarh and Deogarh districts by August. They said the recent progress in the expeditious movement of land acquisition procedures is the combined effect of two public interest litigations (PILs) filed in September 2020 and March 2019 and a series of recent public protests.
Reliable sources associated with project execution said in the event of getting physical possession of land in two months, the ECoR would go for a global turnkey contract for the remaining stretch adding, the project seems to be completed by March 2026.
Talcher-Bimlagarh Rail Line Action Committee (TBRLAC) leader Bimal Bisi urged the state government to appoint a special magistrate to expeditiously hand over land in Sundargarh and Deogarh districts to the ECoR.
Against the total length of 149.78 km, only 26 per cent work is achieved with completion of 17.62 km from Talcher to Sunakhani while work for another 30.5 km till Khamar in Angul district is underway and expected to be completed by December 2023.
The initial estimated project cost of Rs 810.78 crore sanctioned in November 2007 was upwardly revised to Rs 1,928.07 crore in November 2016. ECoR sources said around Rs 1,206.07 crore has been spent till now and no further major cost overrun is likely to take place. The project is reportedly running five years behind schedule.
The Talcher-Bimlagarh new rail line would reportedly reduce distance between Rourkela and Bhubaneswar by 126 km besides boosting local economy and industrialisation.
What’s done, what’s not
Total required private land 1002.61 acre
Around 661.79 acre acquired, balance of 340.85 acre remains to be acquired
542.38 acre out of 549.94 acre land acquired in Angul district
192.09 acre private land in 19 villages remains to be acquired in Deogarh
11.89 acre out of total 248. 02 acre private land acquired in Sundargarh district
Total length of 149.78 km; only 26 per cent done with completion of 17.62 km
Work for another 30.5 km till Khamar in Angul district underway