Odisha To Expedite Ground Level Follow-Up Of Seven Railway Projects

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government will expedite ground level follow-up for the timely completion and commissioning of seven major railway projects in the state.

The decision was taken at a high-level review meeting via digital mode, presided over by Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy at Lok Seva Bhawan where special secretary, Commerce and Transport, and Commissioner Railway Coordination Manoj Mishra presented the updates.

The seven ongoing projects in question are Khurda-Balangir new broad gauge rail line (289 km estimated around Rs 3550 crore), Sambalpur-Talcher doubling rail link (174.11 km estimated around Rs 679.27 crore) Vizianagaram-Sambalpur (via Titilagarh) 3^rd line (264.6 km estimated around Rs 2575 crore), Budhapanka-Salegaon 3rd and 4th rail line (170 km estimated around Rs 1173 crore), Rourkela-Jharsuguda 3rd new rail  link (101 km estimated around Rs 1173 crore), Angul-Sukinda new line (98.7 km estimated around Rs 638.5 crore) and Talcher-Bimilagarh new rail link line (155 km estimated around Rs  810.78 crore).

The Chief Secretary directed concerned departments and project proponents to ensure strict ground level follow-up of the work schedule till completion and commissioning of the projects.

Setting the timeline for different phases of the projects, he ordered collectors and tahasildars to provide advance possession of government land for uninterrupted progress of the projects.

“Since the projects are critical from the viewpoints of coal evacuation, passenger traffic and trade infrastructure, all related field level officers should be on alert and proactive mode,” Tripathy added.

Issues relating to distribution of compensation to land owners, handing over possession of government land, forest clearances, compensatory afforestation, setting up of the towers, shifting of utilities, wildlife clearances were discussed at the meeting.

Development Commissioner Suresh Chandra Mohapatra, Additional Chief Secretary, Forest and Environment Mona Sharma, Principal Secretary Commerce and Transport Madhu Sudan Padhi, Principal Secretary Home Sanjiv Chopra, Chief Administrative Officer East Coast Railway (ECoR) DP Lal, Chief Engineer ECoR and senior officers of Rail Vikah Nigam Ltd (RVNL) and concerned departments were present at the meeting.