Budget 2020-21: Odisha gets Rs 4373 crore outlay for railway projects

New Delhi: Odisha has got an outlay of Rs 4373 crore for railway projects in the Union Budget 2020-21. Last year the State had received an outlay of Rs 4593 crore in the budget.

The Centre has planned an outlay of Rs 5865 crore for East Coast Railway in the Budget 2020-21.

The Budget 2020-21 has sanctioned 241-km-long Sambalpur-Gopalpur new line via Phulbani. Rs 2957 crore has been allocated to the new project subject to the final approval of Niti Ayog.

Khurda Road-Bolangir line has been given Rs 520 crore against Rs 350 crore last year. Similarly, Angul-Sukinda project has got Rs 450 crore against Rs 250 crore last year. The Budget has planned an allotment of Rs 100 crore for Haridaspur-Paradeep project, which is expected to be commissioned this year by March. Last year the project was allotted Rs 400 crores.

BJP state president Samir Mohanty thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for better allocation of funds for the railway infrastructure development in the state.  “So far the Modi government has allocated Rs 29,121 crore for Odisha,” Mohanty said.

BJD MP Prasanna Acharya said the allocation for Odisha is too small. “We had sought more allocation than the previous year. The allocation made in the budget is less than our expectation. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had also given many proposals for the railway infrastructure in the state. Those demands were not met this time,” Acharya said.

(With agency inputs)