In a major thrust to boost to the railway infrastructure, Government on Wednesday gave its nod to four rail line projects in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh at a cost of Rs 8,351 crore.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its approval for the doubling of 189.278 km stretch of the Kottavalasa-Koraput railway line with a completion cost of Rs 2977.64 crore.
The Cabinet also gave a go-ahead to the doubling of 164.56 km Koraput-Singapur Road section railway line with a completion cost of Rs 2361.74 crore and 110.22 km Jagdalpur-Koraput section railway line with a completion cost of Rs 1839.02 crore.
“The demand of goods traffic on these existing single lines was increasing over a period due to increase of production of goods and minerals in the vast catchment and subsequent transportation requirement,” said an official statement from the CCEA.
“Doubling of these lines will greatly ease the ever increasing freight traffic between these sections thereby increasing the revenue of Railways,” it said.
These projects are likely to be completed in the next seven years during 12th and 13th Plan period. Koraput district of Odisha, Vizianagaram and Vishakaphatnam districts of Andhra Pradesh will be benefited through the rail line doubling project of Kottavalasa-Koraput. The Union Cabinet also approved the laying down of third and fourth lines between Budhapank and Salegaon via Rajathgarh railway line. This 85 km long stretch will cost a sum of of Rs 1172.92 crore.
The project is likely to be completed in the next three years during 12th and 13th Plan period. Angul, Dhenkanal and Cuttack districts of Odisha will be benefited through this
project.