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Bhubaneswar, Dec 8: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Monday sought `3,200crore during 2015-16 financial year to complete ongoing railway projects in the state ahead of Nabakalebar. The Chief Minister, currently on a four-day official visit to Delhi, had a 30-minute meeting with railway minister Suresh Prabhu.
“I urged the railway minister to recognize the poor railway network and poor rail density in Orissa that come in the way of industrial development in the state,” he said.
He pleaded for an allocation of `3,200crore for the financial year 2015-16 to lay new railway lines, line-doubling, electrification and passenger amenities in the state.
The Chief Minister also urged Prabhu to ensure completion of all ongoing works before Nabakalebar.
“I urged him to complete all ongoing works including doubling of lines, augmentation of Puri station and additional platforms at Bhubaneswar railway station and construction of a yatri complex in Puri by March 2015 for Nabakalebar,” he said.
Naveen also sought intervention of the minister to complete the five online projects sanctioned between 1994-95 and 2010-11 financial years.
Referring to his discussions about the development of railway infrastructure in tribal areas, Patnaik said, “I urged the minister to make adequate budget provisions for developing railway infrastructure in tribal-dominated, Naxal-prone areas in KBK districts.”
“I also urged him to implement all declared projects including the wagon factory in Ganjam district, wagon maintaining workshop in Kalahandi and skill development centre in Koraput,” he said. “Orissa contributes over Rs14,000crore revenue to Railways which works out to one-tenth of the total revenue of the rail sector. In return, the Railways has not been able to plough back even 20 per cent of the revenue,” Patnaik had said in the CMs’ meeting with the Prime Minister, Sunday.
