Odisha demands Rs 6,500 crore railway package for 2018-19 financial year: Here’s the details

Odisha Uncategorized
File photo
Bhubaneswar, January 18, 2018: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on
Wednesday wrote to Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal seeking Rs 6,500 crore
railway package for Odisha in the Union 2018-19 budget with focus on upgrading
infrastructure, improving actual expenditure, enhancing passenger amenities,
sanction of important new lines and two dedicated freight corridors.

Details of
Odisha’s demand for Railways from the budget:
• Odisha generates annual revenue for Indian Railways in
excess of Rs15,000 crore, yet the average route length with
rail density of 16.0 against national average of 20.0 is much lower than adjoining
states likes West Bengal and Jharkhand.
• Several initiatives being taken to expedite augmentation of
rail infra by state Government through JV/SPVs, free land allocation, project
cost sharing, direct financing of construction etc
• Demand placed for introduction of new train by the name
‘Buxi Jagabandhu Express’ , commeorating bi-cenetenary of Paika Rebellion led
by Buxi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar Mohapatra
• Early sanction of short links that includes Talcher-Angul via
FCI (17km), Paradip-Dhamra (80km), Champua-Anandpur-Jajpur (138km), Barsuan-Banspal-Barbil
(58km), Puri-Konark and Keonjhar Road-Jajpur (via Aradi) for pilgrims visiting
Puri and Biraja Kshetra.
• Expediting construction of new lines of Talcher-Bimalagarh
and Jaleswar-Digha, doubling of Sambalpur-Talcher and Daitari-Keonjhar-Banspani
and third line of Bhadrak-Nergundi-Vizianagaram stretch
• Early action for starting of passenger trains on
Angul-Dubri-Sukinda and Haridaspur-Paradip projects which are passing through
backward and unconnected areas of the State
• Upgradation of passenger amenities on important stations of
Puri, Bhadrak, Brahmapur, Cuttack, Jajpur-Keonjhar Road, Khurda Road, Rayagada,
Sambalpur, Balasore, Jharsuguda and Rourkela
• Commencement of detailed planning for Mass Rapid Transit
System in greater Bhubaneswar region
• DEMU/MEMU services for Sambalpur-Jharsuguda-Rourkela,
Cuttack-Paradip, Brahmapur-Balasore corridor and Rourkela-Keonjhar via Barbil
• New train from Puri to Mumbai via Sambalpur and Titlagarh,
extension of existing express service between Bhubaneswar and Keonjhar to
Jameshedpur via Banspani
• Expediting work on developing existing Bhubaneswar station
with world class facilities and initiating work on new Bhubaneswar station at
Patia
• Initiation of East Coast dedicated freight corridors from
Kharagpur to Vijaywada and East-West dedicated freight corrdior from Jharsuguda
to Bilaspur
• Need for expediting sanctioning/starting of works of Wagon
manufacturing factory at Sitalapalli, Ganjam (sanctioned in 2011-12), Concrete
sleeper plants at Kantabanjhi and Bandamunda and Railway asset maintenance
units in KBK districts.
• Reorganization of administrative structure of East Coast
Railway, the No.1 loading railway in the country, by establishing new
Divisional HQs at Rayagada, Jajpur-Keonjhar Road and Rourkela
Odisha’s GDP growth rate almost 20% higher than national GDP
growth rate as state evolves in to major industrial and mineral hub as well as
eastern gateway of the nation. Hence, world class rail infrastructure is
crucial for rapid development and economic growth, said the CM.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *