Railway Line: BJD criticizes Centre for prioritizing projects benefiting other states over Odisha | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: BJD on Saturday criticised the Centre for publicising the Gunupur-Theruvali new railway line, which was sanctioned in the 2017-18 Union Budget. It also lashed out at the Centre for maintaining silence on the Bargarh-Nuapada via Padampur rail line.
BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said the Centre has not sanctioned a new line in the last eight years.“Some projects, which were allocated funds in the Budget, are in cold storage. In the case of Gunupur-Theruvali new line, the Centre has not done anything in the last seven years except asking for land and funds from the state. This project was sanctioned earlier. Is the Cabinet decision above Parliament?” he asked.
He said some of the railway projects approved on Friday are meant for transporting minerals from Odisha to other states. “They will not benefit locals,” he added. He asked railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw about the status of the Jeypore-Malkangiri and Jeypore-Nabarangpur new lines.
State BJP spokesperson Dilip Mohanty said BJD should introspect and accept its incompetence which was responsible for Odisha’s slow pace of development across sectors, including railways.TNN
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The BJD criticized the Centre for publicizing an old railway project while ignoring the Bargarh-Nuapada line. BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty stated that several projects, including the Gunupur-Theruvali line, have seen no progress over the past seven years. He questioned the prioritization of projects benefiting other states and the lack of transparency in funds allocated to Odisha.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, approved eight railway projects, including six in Odisha. These projects, costing around Rs 24,657 crore, aim to improve connectivity and mobility across five states. The new lines will enhance transportation of essential commodities and expand the Indian Railways network by 700 km.
