Bhubaneswar: Reviewing progress of seven major railway projects in the state, Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy directed the officials concerned to provide advance possession of government land for faster implementation of the projects.
Tripathy reviewed the progress of the projects and resolved the issues relating to ground level implementation at a high-level meeting held on digital mode at Lokseva Bhawan here recently. Commissioner, Railway Coordination, Manoj Mishra presented the updates for discussion.
The Chief Secretary asked the District Collectors and tehsildars to give advance possession of government land to ensure uninterrupted progress of construction of projects.
He directed the departments and the project proponents to ensure strict ground-level follow-up of the work schedule till completion and commissioning of the projects.
Tripathy set timelines for different phases of the projects. “Since the projects are critical from coal evacuation, passenger traffic and trade infrastructure points of view, all the related field-level officials should be on alert and proactive mode,” he said.
He reviewed the progress of 289-km long Khurda-Bolangir new broad gauge railway line with an expenditure of around Rs 3,550 crore; 174.11-km Sambalpur-Talcher doubling rail link involving Rs 679.27 crore; 264.6-km long Vizianagaram-Sambalpur 3rd line with Rs 2575 crore and 170-km long Budhapank-Salegaon 3rd and 4th rail line with an investment of Rs 1,173 crore. Likewise, the progress of 101-km long Rourkela-Jharsuguda 3rd new rail link with Rs 1,173 crore; 98.7-km long Angul-Sukinda new line involving Rs 638.5 crore and 155-km long Talcher-Bimlagarh new line with an expenditure of Rs 810.78 crore was also reviewed.
Issues related to distribution of compensation money to the land owners, handing over the possession of the government land, forest clearances, compensatory afforestation, setting up of towers, shifting of utilities, wildlife clearances and other issues were deliberated and resolved at the meeting.
