Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday urged Railways Minister Suresh Prabhakr Prabhu to facilitate signing of MoUs for the sanctioned Jeypore-Maikangiri and Jeypore-Nabrangpur new railway lines to formalise the State Government’s financial and free land offer.
In a letter, the Chief Minister said the two projects have been sanctioned in the Railway Budget 2016-17 and featured in the Pink Book as well. As these two projects are pivotal for Odisha to bring in development to the leftwing extremist-affected districts of Malkangiri and Nabarangpur, his Government has already offered to bear 25 per cent and 50 per cent of construction costs of the two projects, respectively, and land free of cost.
“I would request your Ministry to immediately formalise our offers through two project specific MoUs similar to that of Khurda Road-Balangir so that the land acquisition can begin soon,” urged the Chief Minister.