The Union Government on Thursday made the highest-ever allocation for Odisha in the Railway Budget 2016. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu announced Rs 4,682 crore for Odisha against the State’s demand of Rs 5,000 crore.
last year’s Railway Budget had provided Rs 2,514 crore against the State’s demand of Rs 3,200 crore.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik thanked Prabhu for accepting most of the State’s demands. “I am thankful to Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu for accepting some of the major demands of our State. I would also like to thank all the MPs of lS and RS who continuously followed it up with the Union Government,” he said.
The allocations included Rs 240 crore for Khurda-Balangir rail project, Rs 12.87 crore for Daitari-Banspani project, Rs 5.21 crore for lanjigarh-Junagarh route, Rs 200 crore for Haridaspur-Paradip route, Rs 150 crore for Talcher-Bimlagarh project and Rs 150 crore Angul-Sukinda project.
For doubling of railway tracks, the Ministry has allocated Rs 85 crore for Sambalpur - Rengali route, Rs 1 crore each for Raj Athgarh-Barang and Rs Khurda-Barang, Rs 10.5 crore Jharsuguda-Rengali, Rs 419 crore for Sambalpur-Titlagarh, Rs 11.5 crore for Brundamal-Jharsuguda fly over, Rs 241 crore for Banspani-Daitari-Tomka-Jakhapura, Rs 8 crore for Delanga-Puri and Rs 220 crore for Sambalpur-Talcher.
Besides, Rs 135 crore was earmarked for Bhadrak-Nirgundi third line and Rs 120 crore for Jagdalpur-Koraput railway line, Rs 225 crore for the Vizianagaram-Sambalpur third line, Rs 200 crore for he Jharapada-Budhapanka with fly over third and fourth line, Rs 200 crore for Budhapanka-Salegaon via Ragathagarh third and fourth line, Rs 210 crore for Bhadrak- Vizianagaram, Rs 39 crore for Koraput-Singapur Road and Rs 9 crore for Khurda Road- Vizianagaram Bypass.
Token grant of Rs 1 crore each for Jeypore-Malkangiri and Jeypore-Nabrangpur projects have been allocated.
Similarly, Rs 1 crore has been allocated for gauge conversion of Nuapada-Gunupur route.
The Railways will take up construction of passenger amenities and beautification at Puri and more rail connectivity to Paradip on a priority basis. Eight new railway lines have been proposed in the Budget for Odisha. They are Jeypore-Malkangiri, Jeypore-Nabarangpur, Banshpani-Barbil, Brahmapur-Sambalpur, Junagarh-Ambagada via Nabarangpur, Barsuan Bansapani, Narayangarh-Bhadrak and Bandhamunda-Rourkela rail lines. East Coast Railway General Manager Rajeev Bishnoi said the Bhubaneswar railway station would be made Wi-Fi by March-end.