Central nod for 7 rail projects in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today approved seven projects of Ministry of Railways with estimated cost of around Rs 32,500 crore with 100 per cent funding from the Centre.

The projects covering 35 districts in nine states–Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal–will increase the existing network of Indian Railways by 2,339 Kms and create employment opportunities of 7.06 crore man-days.

These are essential routes for transportation of commodities like foodgrains, fertilizers, coal, cement, fly-ash, iron and finished steel, clinkers, crude oil, lime stone and edible oil. The capacity augmentation works will result in additional freight traffic of 200 MTPA.

The Cabinet Committee gave its nod to the third line between Nergundi-Barang and Khurda Road-Vizianagarm. The 385-km project would be implanted with an expenditure of Rs 5,618 crore.

Altogether 184-km new line from Bhadrak to Ganjam via Jajpur, Cuttack and Ganjam will be built under the project in Odisha. The remaining 201-km line of the project will be laid in Andhra Pradesh.

The panel also gave its approval to major rain bridges over Mahanadi, Kathajodi, Kuakhai, Birupa, Rusikulya and Bansadhara rivers in Odisha.

The new rail projects will boost coal transportation from Talcher in Odisha to South India. Besides, they will facilitate coal transportation from Paradip and Gopalpur ports to steel plants.

Besides, raw materials like clinker and pet coke can be easily transported to cement plants from Paradip.

“The new rail projects will facilitate steel export from Odisha and faster movement of iron ore from mines in Keonjhar to various ports in Andhra. Besides, the Railways can run new trains on these routes,” said an official.

The projects are in line with Prime Minister’s vision of a new India which will make people of the region ‘Atmanirbhar’ by creating Multi-tasking work force in the region and will create employment/self employment opportunities for the locals.

The projects are the result of PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-model connectivity which have been possible through integrated planning and will provide seamless connectivity for movement of people, goods and services.