Senior BJD leader and MP Narendra Kumar Swain raised questions in the Upper House regarding the neglect meted out to Odisha by the Central Government.
In a query, he wanted to know whether the storm water drainage project for the holy city of Puri has been withdrawn and whether the project would be revived.
Replying to Swain’s query, Minister of State in the Ministry of Urban Development Rao Inderjit Singh admitted that such a project was sanctioned in the year 2009 under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) but as the progress of the project was not satisfactory, the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee (CSMC) at its meeting held on 04.09.2013 approved withdrawal of the project.
The Ministry of Urban Development is implementing the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) which has inter alia a component for storm water drainage. But the Government of Odisha has not taken up any project for storm water drainage in the city of Puri under this mission, the Minister informed.
Swain further alleged the neglect in establishment of the wagon factory at Sitapalli of Ganjam district, which was sanctioned in the year 2012-13 Budget. Replying to Swain’s query, Minister of State in the Ministry of Railways Rajen Gohain replied that setting up of a wagon factory at Sitapalli in Ganjam has been sanctioned in Railway Budget 2012-13.
However, the existing wagon manufacturing capacity including both private and public sector units is adequate to meet the current demand for new wagons based on traffic projections. As a result, setting up of this wagon factory in Odisha has not been commenced, the Minister replied.