Bhubaneswar: The long awaited Haridaspur-Paradip railway line will be operational in 10-15 days, said BJP vice-president Baijayant Panda on Thursday.
Panda, in a release, said initially the railway line will be used for goods trains with passengers trains to follow subsequently. The Railway Ministry had approved the 82.5 km train line as part of East Coat Railway in 1996 while the then railway minister Nitish Kumar had laid its foundation stone in 1999. The project was set to be completed by 2004.
The project was stalled for various reasons for several reasons including land acquisition until Panda took up the matter with the Centre in 2014 and obtained the permission for clearing the forest land for the Rs 2083.9 crore project. Due to persistent efforts of the former MP, the project could be completed.
The railway line, which will connect the three districts of Jajpur, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur, will prove as a means of economic prosperity for the area, Panda said.