Congress MP from Odisha Saptagiri Ullaka raised questions on the status of Naupada-Gunupur railway project and its extension upto Therubali in the Parliament.
The question mainly focussed on the steps taken by the Government to sanction the project and mitigate delays and time by which the project will be operational.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in his answer mentioned that the railway line to the extent of 73.62 km was included in the Budget 2017-18 subject to requisite approvals. The Government of Odisha was requested to share 50% of cost and provide land free of cost. But the Odisha Government has agreed to provide only land free of cost.
As per the Detailed Project Report(DPR), the total project cost is Rs 1,165.89 crore excluding the cost of land. The State Government agreed to provide land free of cost but remained silent on bearing 50% of the cost. The project was supposed to be completed by 2023. Unfortunately, not an iota of work was started even as 2023 is going to end. There is still no timeline plan regarding the initiation and completion of the project.
The demand for the rail route is not new. It is rather 50 years' old. The proposed railway line is likely to pass through Kujendri, Penakam, Deula, Ramanaguda and Bankili. The railway line will help in the all-round economic growth and a distance of at least 150 km will be reduced to Bhubaneswar. Eight mega bridges, 113 small bridges, one over-bridge and 56 level crossings will be constructed under Gunupur-Therubali railway line. For all these, 559 hectares of land is required, sources said.
Members of a local outfit ‘Rail Vikash Manch’ took out a cycle rally and submitted a memorandum to Vaishnaw when he visited Rayagada two years back. Akshaya Das, a social activist of Gunupur, has urged the state Government to intervene and take steps for early completion of the project. Andhra-Odisha Rail Users’ Association convener Satya Prakash Panda of Gunupur said that both the Union and State Governments should understand the need for Naupada-Gunupur -Therubali rail project and take steps for expediting it.
“I have been raising this issue in Lok Sabha since 2019. On last Wednesday a question by me on extension of Naupada-Gunupur railway line upto Therubali was answered by Railway Minister Vaishnaw. I am extremely disappointed to know that the State Government and Naveen Patnaik ji has only agreed to provide land free of cost but has not agreed to share 50% of costs. The State Government has been propagating lies that they have agreed to share costs, which is now exposed by Union Minister's response. We will keep fighting on the issue till it is finally grounded," asserted Ullaka.
