BHUBANESWAR : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday laid the foundation stone of the newly-created Rayagada Railway Division building of East Coast Railway (ECoR) along with two more projects in Jammu and Kashmir and Telangana in virtual mode from New Delhi.
The prime minister said the new railway division at Rayagada will strengthen the state’s railway infrastructure, particularly benefiting southern Odisha, which has a higher concentration of tribal population. The infrastructure development under the Janman Yojana will be a blessing for the underdeveloped tribal areas, he said.
“With the blessings of Lord Jagannath, Odisha is endowed with a treasure of natural resources and a vast coastline. Odisha has immense potential for international trade. With the objective of furthering economic development, several railway projects worth over Rs 70,000 crore are underway in the state. Seven Gati Shakti cargo terminals have been inaugurated which will boost trade and industries,” he said.
Attending the foundation stone laying ceremony at Rayagada, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said with improved connectivity, Rayagada is poised to become a major industrial centre in the near future, he said.
“Today is a significant day for us as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone for the Rayagada Railway Division. This project will improve rail infrastructure in southern Odisha and facilitate the growth of industries in the region,” Majhi said.
The chief minister said the central government under the leadership of Modi and cooperation of Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has allocated Rs 73,723 crore for railway development in Odisha. This apart, 59 railway stations in the state are redeveloped under the Amrit Station Yojana.
“Our government is committed to fulfilling its promises. Modi’s guarantee is not just a promise, but a guarantee of fulfilment. We have been doing that since the BJP government came to power in the state,” Majhi added.
The new railway division being built at a cost of Rs 107 crore will have modern office infrastructure, including a DRM office building, divisional control office, and residential facilities for staff.
Vaishnaw joined the programme from Jammu while minister of state for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu was present at Rayagada. Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati joined the from Bhubaneswar.