Government Injects Rs 10,536 Crore into Odisha's Railways

In a significant development, the central government has earmarked Rs 10,536 crore in the interim budget for the enhancement of the railway sector in Odisha, marking the highest allocation for the state to date. This allocation reflects a noteworthy increase of Rs 524 crore compared to the previous fiscal year's allotment of Rs 10,012 crore, underscoring the government's steadfast commitment to advancing railway infrastructure in the state.

Notably, in the 2022-23 fiscal year, Odisha had received Rs 9,734 crore for the railway sector. According to an official statement from the Railways, the average outlay for Odisha from 2009 to 2014 was Rs 838 crore. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted that in the last three years, Odisha has received an average annual allocation of Rs 10,000 crore, emphasizing the government's sustained focus on the state's railway development.

Minister Vaishnaw, addressing the media through a video conference from Delhi, highlighted the railways' increased pace of completion, from an average of 53.4 km per annum between 2009-2014 to 473 km in the last financial year. He expressed the railway's commitment to ongoing projects and the sanctioning of new lines, indicating an accelerated effort to enhance railway connectivity.

The Railway Minister also announced the introduction of Vande Metro train services in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, and Puri, with plans to extend the service to additional routes, including Sambalpur-Jharsuguda-Rourkela, Talcher-Angul, and Balasore-Bhadrak-Bhubaneswar sections.

In the broader context of the Union Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman outlined three major economic railway corridor programs for implementation in the country: energy, mineral, and cement corridors; port connectivity corridors; and high traffic density corridors. Odisha is anticipated to become a part of these corridors, with the focus on developing additional railway lines to facilitate smoother and faster movement of both passenger and freight trains.

Under the Janjatiya Gaurav Corridor plan, aimed at providing rail connectivity to tribal areas, new railway projects have been sanctioned from Junagarh in Odisha to Bhadrachalam in Telangana, covering a total distance of 411 km. These include the Junagarh-Nabarangpur new line (118 km), Nabarangpur-Jeypore (38 km), Jeypore-Malkangiri (130 km), and Malkangiri-Bhadrachalam new line (125 km). The railway minister noted that the process is underway for land acquisition for these new line projects.

Additionally, for the safety of train movements, the Railways has installed the Kavach (train protection system) on tracks, covering a distance of 827 km by December 1 of the previous year, with ongoing installation work. The minister also announced plans to redevelop 58 stations in Odisha and highlighted the presence of 42 'One Station One Product' stalls, providing local people with opportunities to sell regionally renowned handicrafts, artworks, and handloom products at railway stations in the state.

The East Coast Railway zone received an allocation of more than Rs 11,000 crore, as per official sources, indicating a comprehensive commitment to advancing railway infrastructure and connectivity in Odisha.

News by Rahul Yelligetti