BHUBANESWAR: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Friday approved eight new railway line projects, including four for Odisha, with a total estimated cost of Rs 24,657 crore.
Briefing the media about the decisions taken at the CCEA meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said four new railway line projects for Odisha have also been approved which are Gunupur-Therubali (73.62 km) in Rayagada district, Junagarh-Nabarangpur (116.1 km) in Kalahandi and Nabarangpur, Badampahar-Kendujhargarh (82.06 km) in Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj and Bangriposi-Gorumahisani (85.6 km) in Mayurbhanj.
The CCEA also approved 173.61-km-long Malkangiri-Panmdurangapuram (via Bhadrachalam) railway line to pass through Malkangiri, East Godavari and Bhadradri Kothagudem districts in the states of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Besides, 59.96-km-long Buramara-Chakulia railway line to pass through East Singhbhum, Jhargram and Mayurbhanj of Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha was also approved.
Vaishnaw said the new line proposals will provide direct connectivity and improve mobility, enhance efficiency and service reliability for Indian Railways. The projects are in line with the PM’s vision of a new India which will make people of the region ‘Atmanirbhar’ though comprehensive development of the area with opportunities for enhancing their employment/self-employment.
He further said the projects are the result of PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity which has been possible through integrated planning. These projects will provide seamless connectivity for movement of people, goods and services.
With these projects, 64 new railway stations will be constructed, providing enhanced connectivity to six aspirational districts (East Singhbum, Bhadadri Kothagudem, Malkangiri, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur and Rayagada) with approximately 510 villages and around 40 lakh population, Vaishnaw added.