Railway Projects: Centre approves new rail projects in Odisha for tourism and economic boost | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Wednesday approved two major railway projects in Odisha to promote tourism and economic activities in western part of the state. These projects are the 138-km Bargarh Road-Nuapada via Padampur new railway line and Sardega-Bhalumuda double line project.
Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, while speaking to the media through videoconferencing from New Delhi, said there were demands from people and elected representatives for Bargarh Road-Nuapada new line project.“The line will connect the most important areas via Padampur. It will provide connectivity to the rice bowl of India, the hub of Sambalpuri handloom, and famous Nrusinghanath Temple in Bargarh district,” he added.
People from Sambalpur or Angul area, who want to go to Raipur region need to pass through the busy freight corridor of Titlagarh. The Bargarh Road-Nuapada new line will provide an additional route. It will also work as a bypass for congested rail route of Jharsuguda-Bilaspur-Raipur.
“All steel plants in the region are going for huge expansion. This line will be vital for moving finished steel from these steel plants to north India. Coal from Angul district will be transported towards Raipur region for various industries. This line will reduce the logistic cost of domestic coal movement by reducing distance and detention,” said a statement from the railways.
This line will be vital in moving iron ore from Daitary and Gandamardhan to steel industries in the Raipur region. According to the projected freight traffic, it will load 6.5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of coal, 3 MTPA of iron ore, 4.5 MTPA of steel, 0.5 MTPA of cement, 0.5 MTPA of rice, and other goods. It will connect several tourist places in Bargarh and Nuapada districts. These include Nrusinghanath Temple, Debrigarh sanctuary, and Sunabeda. The Bargarh Road-Nuapada new line project was a major demand during a by-election for Padampur assembly seat in 2022 and in the last general elections.
Revenue minister Suresh Pujari said they will extend all support, including land for the projects. “There will be no delay in land acquisition. We will help the railways to complete the projects in time,” he added.
Bargarh MP Pradip Purohit said it was a gift for western Odisha ahead of the Nuakhai celebration in this region on Sept 8. “This line will boost economic activities and provide connectivity to tourist places,” he added.
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