A meeting of Cabinet Committee on Investment-Project Monitoring Group chaired by Chief Secretary Vivek Dhand was held here on Monday. Secretary, Industry and Commerce Department Subodh Singh informed in the meeting that the work of Dallirajhara-Rowghat Rail line project had been progressing at a fast pace.
He said that the work of 17-km-long Railway track laying in the Dallirajhara-Daundi had already been achieved. The Chief Secretary during the meeting also inquired about the progress of the steel plant being established by NMDC ltd at Nagarnar in Bastar district besides other projects.
It was also informed in the meeting that the tendering process for Rail line laying work for 18 to 42-km stretch had already been started.
The work for laying Railway track on the 24-km stretch would commence soon involving a cost of Rs 160 crore. The work had been targetted to be accomplished by September 2017.
A successful trial run of a Railway diesel engine had already been carried out between Dallirajhara till Gudum village at the speed of 20 km per hour. Chief Minister Raman Singh had congratulated Railway engineers, officers and workers associated with the project.
In his message, Singh had stated that this Rail project will help in economic development of Tribal dominated Bastar region and Balod district as well.
“Upon completion of the project, Narayanpur and Kondagaon of Bastar region will be directly connected through Raipur, Bilaspur Durg and other parts of the country via Rail network. This project will open new doors of economic development for people of Bastar,” the Chief Minister said adding, the project will also supply iron ore to Bhilai Steel Plant from Rowghat.
The 235-km-long Railway line will be constructed in two phases. Work on the first phase of 95 km long track from Dallirajhara to Rowghat is in progress, while for the construction of 140-km-long second phase from Rowghat to Jagdalpur, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between Chhattisgarh Government and IRCON International limited which is a company of Union Railway Ministry. The MoU was inked in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Dantewada visit on May 9 this year.
The second phase of the project will cost about Rs2,000 crore. For this project the State Government and Central government have formed a joint venture (JV) in which NMDC, SAIl and IRCON are also party.
The Chhattisgarh Government will have 10 percent equity, NMDC 43 per cent equity, SAIl 21 per cent and IRCON will have 26 per cent equity in the JV.
The development of two key Rail corridors in mineral-rich Chhattisgarh is now set to expand the Railway line network by 45 per cent in the State, officials stated.