With the Indian Railway Board sitting over the proposal of the East Coast Railway (ECoR) since three years the much needed Khurda-Road-Balangir railway line has made a tardy progress much to the chagrin of the people of the State.
“Its’ shocking to know that though the project was sanctioned in 1994-95, the Indian Railways have funded only 36 km till date,” reveals Minister of Planning and Coordination Ananga Udaya Singh Deo.
“While 0-36 km was sanctioned 16 years ago, 36-112 km connectivity proposal is yet to be sanctioned,” rued Singh Deo.
IRB is sitting over the proposal of ECoR since 2007 to sanction 36-112 km rail line with a cost of `316.67 crore, revealed sources. The ECoR submitted the proposal on January 25, 2007 and pursuing the same for last three years with the IRB. Singh Deo in a letter to the IRB Chairman has requested to sanction the proposal and earlier he has also talked to him on this count.
As Khurda Road-Balangir Railway line is the most important connectivity between coastal and western Odisha, the Minister was all along bating for the same, said sources in the ECoR. With the snail’s pace the project is moving, its’ project cost is bound to go up from the present level of `1,000 crore, said an official in the Department of Commerce and Transport.
According to the ECoR, earthwork and construction of bridges in 0-36 KM is in progress and it is expected that it will be commissioned in 2010-11.
However 36-112 KM stretch fate is unclear with the apathy of IRB, lamented the official. Indian Railway authorities have been approached by the Government of Odisha to sanction `300 crore in 2010-11 for the project, where as Rs 120 crore has been allotted by the Ministry of Railways (MOR).
No comments:
Post a Comment