Baijayant Panda: Baijayant Panda urges Railway Minister for Approval of New Haridaspur-Paradip Railway Line | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: BJP’s Kendrapada MP and party’s national vice-president, Baijayant Panda, wrote to railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday seeking clearance for the proposed second railway line between Haridaspur and Paradip.
Baijayant, in his letter, said the proposed second railway line would not only increase overall capacity but also significantly enhance the potential for further development in the region, including the envisioned industrial corridor.
He said that since the original project was implemented by Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd, it would be prudent to involve them again in this expansion to leverage their expertise for faster execution.
“I am confident that under your leadership, the ministry of railways will give due consideration to approving this critical project. I look forward to your positive response and assure you of my continued support for its development,” he said.
Notably, in 1996, the 82.5-km long Haridaspur-Paradip project was approved as part of the East Coast Railway. In 1999, then railway minister Nitish Kumar laid the foundation stone at Marshaghai, promising its completion by 2004. However, due to various administrative reasons, the project was delayed.
The construction, estimated to cost around Rs 2,083.9 crore, was assigned to Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd, the state govt, Odisha Mining Corporation, and Paradip Port Trust on a participatory basis.
“As you may be aware, during my tenure as the MP of Kendrapada from 2009 to 2019, I took a great interest in the Haridaspur-Paradip railway project, which had been delayed for decades,” Panda wrote. He added that through regular follow-ups with the ministry and ground-level reviews, the project was finally approved and completed in 2019. “Being the first railway line in Kendrapada, it has already had a transformational effect on the region,” he added.
Baijayant, in his letter, said the proposed second railway line would not only increase overall capacity but also significantly enhance the potential for further development in the region, including the envisioned industrial corridor.
He said that since the original project was implemented by Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd, it would be prudent to involve them again in this expansion to leverage their expertise for faster execution.
“I am confident that under your leadership, the ministry of railways will give due consideration to approving this critical project. I look forward to your positive response and assure you of my continued support for its development,” he said.
Notably, in 1996, the 82.5-km long Haridaspur-Paradip project was approved as part of the East Coast Railway. In 1999, then railway minister Nitish Kumar laid the foundation stone at Marshaghai, promising its completion by 2004. However, due to various administrative reasons, the project was delayed.
The construction, estimated to cost around Rs 2,083.9 crore, was assigned to Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd, the state govt, Odisha Mining Corporation, and Paradip Port Trust on a participatory basis.
“As you may be aware, during my tenure as the MP of Kendrapada from 2009 to 2019, I took a great interest in the Haridaspur-Paradip railway project, which had been delayed for decades,” Panda wrote. He added that through regular follow-ups with the ministry and ground-level reviews, the project was finally approved and completed in 2019. “Being the first railway line in Kendrapada, it has already had a transformational effect on the region,” he added.
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