Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Saturday said Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw approved projects worth Rs 15,000 crore for the state after he interacted with him for a brief period last month.
Majhi thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for clearing these projects for Odisha and said he held a meeting with the railway minister on July 27 during his visit to Delhi.
The chief minister again interacted with Vaishnaw through video conferencing from Lok Seva Bhavan here on Sarurday and said: “You (Railway Minister) called me for five minutes to have tea in Delhi and you approved 6 projects for Odisha. Thank you very much”.
The Cabinet Committee at the Centre approved 6 rail projects worth Rs 15,004 crore for Odisha.
The chief minister, during his recent visit, to the national capital on July 27 to attend the NITI Aayog meeting, had met Vaishnaw and requested him for approving certain railway projects pending for years.
Majhi said, ” People of Odisha are all very happy. These projects will strengthen the railway infrastructure in Odisha and help in the economic development of the backward districts. This will also accelerate the development process of the state.”
Noting that land acquisition is a major problem in implementing railway projects, Majhi assured the railway minister that his government would provide all the support.
During the video conferencing, Vaishnaw talked about the approved projects and how they will connect the western parts of the state to the southern region and create economic activities in the northern districts of Odisha.
“Approval of 6 important railway projects at one go is s historic step of the Modi government,” Vaishnaw said.
He said only 40 km of railway lines were constructed per year earlier, now more than 300 km of tracks are being built per annum in the last 10 years.
Vaishnaw said that the new projects will be completed on time after proper monitoring in collaboration with the state government.
A number of MPs from Odisha attended the video conferencing.
Among the new lines sanctioned in Odisha are Gunupur-Theruvali (73.62 kms) in Rayagada at a cost of Rs1,326 crore, Junagarh Road-Nabrangpur (116.21kms) in Kalahandi and Nawarangpur district at a cost of Rs 3,274 crore, Malkangiri-Pandurangapuram (via Bhadrachalam) (173.61KMs) in Malkanagiri.
Opposition BJD, however, criticised the BJP-led central government for “not sanctioning any new railway line in the last eight years. The new lines were approved with an aim to transport Odisha’s mineral wealth to other states said spokesperson Lenin Mohanty.
PTI
