The Odisha Government on Wednesday urged the Union Government to allocate Rs 6,500 crore for ongoing and new railway projects in the State in the upcoming Central Budget for next financial year. y
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wrote to Union Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal and placed the demand in this regard. Apart from urging for expediting ongoing projects and station modernisation, Patnaik demanded for six new railway lines for the State.
The proposed six new railway lines are Brahmapur-Phulbani-Sambalpur, Bargarh-Nuapara via Padampur, Bhadranchalam-Malkangiri, Talcher-Gopalpur, Gopalpur-Singapur Road new BG line and lanjigarh-Talcher. He also mentioned about the need for detailed planning to introduce a rail-based mass rapid transit system (metro train) between twin cities, Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.
He urged for establishment of new divisional headquarters Rayagada, Jajpur-Keonjhar Road and Rourkela to extent the ECoR’s jurisdiction to include Banspani-Padapahar, Bhadrak-lakhmannath sections in Khorda Road division and Jharsuguda-Barsuan-Kiriburu, Rourkela-Nuagaon and Jharsuguda-Himagiri sections in Sambalpur divisions.
Mentioning that Odisha is emerging as the mining and metal hub of the country, he mentioned that there is a need of a dedicated freight corridor from Kharagpur to Vijaywada and East-West dedicated from Jharsuguda to Bilaspur to ensure seamless movement of freight between upcoming ports (Kirtania, Chudamani, Dhamra, Astarang and Gopal) and northern and central hinterlands in the country. The Chief Minister also requested Goyal to sanction short links
Talcher-Angul, Paradip-Dhamra, Champua-Anandpur-Jajpur and Barsuan-Banspal-Barbil lines.
The CM proposed to bear 50 per cent of construction and land cost for Puri-Konark line.
Chief Minister Patnaik has also sought early action for running of passenger trains in Angul-Dubri-Sukinda and Haridaspur-Paradip rail links and introduction of DEMU services for travelling needs of daily commuters in Sambalpur-Jharsuguda-Rourkela, Cuttack-Paradip, Berhampur-Balasore, Rourkela-Keonjhar via Barbil.
The State has demanded for a new train in the name of eminent freedom fighter Bakshi Jagabandhu from Khordha to Mumbai to commemorate the bi-centenary year of Paika Rebellion.