Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has sought the intervention of Railway Minister Piyush Goyal for running passenger trains on Haridaspur-Paradip railway line which is set to be commissioned soon.
In a letter to the Railway Minister, Naveen said the 82-km railway line will connect Kendrapara district to the railway map for the first time. While most of the work for commissioning of the line is completed, running of passenger trains is yet to be finalised.
The chief minister further said the state government has equal share along with Ministry of Shipping and Indian Railways in equity in the special purpose vehicle (SPV) project executed by HPRCL. Besides, the state has waived Stamp Duty, Registration Fee and Premium on land along with direct monetary equity support to the project, he added.
Considering the state’s investment and need of Kendrapra people, the chief minister requested the Railway Minister to accord necessary approvals and certifications so that a passenger train can be flagged off on the new railway line in August.