P:ost News Network
Bhubaneswar: The state government Thursday said it will sign an MoU with the railway ministry within two weeks for developing the Jeypore-Malkangiri and Jeypore-Nabarangpur rail line projects.
“We are going to sign an MoU with the Railways for the Jeypore-Malkangiri and Jeypore-Nabarangpur rail line projects within two weeks,” said transport minister Ramesh Chandra Majhi, after attending a review meeting of his department chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on completion of two years of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government.
Majhi further said that the state government will also sign an MoU with the Railways shortly for developing rail network in seven districts of the state, which are yet to have rail connectivity.
The minister had recently written to railway minister Suresh Prabhu regarding the Jeypore-Malkangiri and Jeypore-Nabarangpur rail line projects. In his letter, Majhi had reminded Prabhu of detailed discussions the latter had had on the two projects with the chief minister during their meeting here April 16 and informed that no action has been taken in this regard so far.
The state government has proposed to the Centre that the two projects can be taken up in the same model of partnership as in the Khurda-Bolangir line. It has proposed that the Railways bear 25 per cent of the construction cost of the Jeypore-Malkangir rail line and offered to bear 50 per cent of the construction cost of the Jeypore-Nabarangpur rail line along with allotment of free land for it.
Majhi also told reporters that the state government will include under the Biju Gaon Gadi Yojana 335 more panchayats that still have no bus service. Sources said the government’s move followed the chief minister’s review of the performance of the department and his instructions to the minister to ensure improvement in rural connectivity.
“We have connected 490 panchayats under this scheme and the CM has directed for inclusion of 335 more panchayats under this scheme this year itself,” said Majhi, adding, “By December, the government plans to bring 280 more panchayats under this scheme.”During the review meeting, Patnaik asked the officials of the department to provide online service at the regional transport office (RTO) level at the earliest.
