BERHAMPUR: Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s statement in the Parliament that the Odisha Rail Infrastructure Development Limited (ORIDL) has been advised to review alignment of Gopalpur-Rairakhol new rail line has brought cheer to people of Kandhamal which is yet to be placed on the railway map.
There was a sense of dejection among people of Kandhamal which did not find a place in the detailed project report (DPR) of Gopalpur-Rairakhol new railway line.
Last month, Boudh district was connected by Khurda-Balangir railway line but Kandhamal, part of the proposed Gopalpur-Sambalpur railway line, was missing. Soon resentment grew and demand for inclusion of Kandhamal gathered steam.
On November 18, the Commerce and Transport department requested ORIDL, a joint venture company of Odisha government and Ministry of Railways to initiate survey work for Gopalpur-Rairakhol new broad rail line via Phulbani as per clause no 21 (b) of the JV agreement signed between the ministry and Odisha and submit the DPR for further consideration to railway board.
The department also enclosed a copy of the letter dated October 29, 2024 of chairman and CEO of railway board on the matter.
On Wednesday, in response to a question by Phulbani MP Sukanta Panigrahi in the Lok Sabha, Vaishnaw said rail connectivity for Kandhamal district is proposed to be provided by Rairakhol-Gopalpur new line project being taken up by the ORIDL.
“The DPR for this new rail line was prepared by ORIDL. However, the alignment of proposed new line was not passing through Phulbani which was in contravention to the In-Principle Approval (IPA) granted to ORIDL. Therefore, ORIDL has been advised to review the alignment of the Gopalpur - Rairakhol new rail line. The project is not yet sanctioned,” he said.