Bhubaneswar: Odisha has been allocated Rs 6995.58 crore for different railway projects in the Union Budget for 2021-22 fiscal.
The allocation is around 21.4 per cent more than that of last fiscal when the state had received Rs 5759.64 crore. However, it is much less than the state’s demand for Rs 7200-crore this year, an East Coast Railway (ECoR) release said.
In 2019-20, Odisha had got Rs 5993 crore in the rail budget.
“Allotment has been significant for projects to be completed in 2021-22. Funding is to ensure that no progress is hindered for lack of funds. There has been a significant increase in outlay for passenger amenities, road safety works, in terms of road underbridges and overbridges, and LHS,” the release further said.
Khurda Road-Balangir project has been allotted Rs 1000.50 crore against 520 crore last year, an increase of 92.4 per cent.
Funding for doubling projects especially, Bansapani-Daitari-Tomka-Jakhapura Rs 228 crore against Rs 80 crore last year (an increase of 185 per cent), Brundamal-Jharsuguda Fly Over (Rs 20 crore against Rs 10 crore last year), Bhadrak-Nergundi 3rd Line (Rs 229 crore against Rs 102 crore last year), Budhapank-Salagaon (Rs 215 crore against 205 crore last year), Rourkela-Jharsuguda 3rd Line (Rs 230 crore as against Rs 170 crore an increase of 35 per cent), Narayangarh-Bhadrak 3rd Line (Rs 225 crore as against Rs 50 crore an increase of 350 per cent).
A quantum jump has been given to passenger amenities from 129 crore to 429 crore. To eliminate level crossings of LC Gates, Rs 400 crore has been sanctioned as against 324 crore last year.
Total budget outlay for development of infrastructure and safety-related works for Odisha is Rs 5528 crore for 2021-22, which does not include many other projects and estimates as they are not significant enough for mention at ministry level; but for ECoR and Odisha, these are important development works, the release added.
FUNDS ALLOCATED IMPORTANT PROJECTS
