Jajpur: Seven major railway projects in the state are caught in stalemate over multiple bottlenecks related to forest land conversion, compensation over tree felling, provisions in FRA certificates. Forest land for 177-km stretch needs to be converted for non-forest use, a report said.
The report said that the progress of railway projects like expansion of Jhakhapura-Jaroli, Vijaynagarm-Titlagarh’s third line, Khordharoad-Bolangir new railroad, Talcher-Bimalagarh new rail line, Sambalpur-Talcher Road expansion, Bhadrak-Nirgundi third line, the third and the fourth railway lines between Salegaon and Budhapa is at different stages.
At different times, the commerce and transport department has been conducting review meetings to settle issues related to forest land.
For over a decade, there were proposals for conversion of the forest land into non-forest purpose for these projects.
Various quarters and experts observed that the apathy of various departments has been the reason for the inordinate delay for disposing the proposals.
Khurda Road-Bolangir railway project was approved in 1994-95, but land acquisition and row over the conversion of the forest land have been a major stumbling block in the project. The forest land row in this project is at three stages in Nayagarh and Boudh forest divisions.
The number of trees to be felled for the project was ascertained. The Nayagarh and Boudh DFOs will approve the letters. The Collectors of the two districts are to give their approval for tree felling.
That apart, the wildlife clearance approvals are also pending at the DFOs.
Talcher-Bimalagarh railway project has been stuck over compensation for tree felling in Angul district. The authorities concerned have failed to sort out the compensation issue raised by Gaham villagers, who have been fighting over it.
Sambalpur-Talcher Road expansion project is going on due to stage-1 clearance. The authorities had applied for forest land conversion in December 2016 under Athamallick forest division. 47 hectares of the degraded forest land and 29 hectares of government, pasture and revenue lands have been identified for the project.
In case of Bhadrak-Nirgundi third railway line, the authorities have applied for stage-1 clearance June 2, 2020, which are being awaited.
The stage-1 clearance for the 3rd and the fourth railway lines between Salegaon and Budhapa was applied June 19, 2018. The project required conversion of forest land. A proposal to this effect was sent to MoEF March 4, 2020. A regional empowered committee had returned the proposal, citing shortcomings in April, 2020. Wildlife clearance for the project is also being awaited from Dhenkanal DFO.
Jakhapur-Jaroli expansion project is confined to stage-1 clearance. A forest land conversion proposal for the project has been returned and a revised proposal is to be submitted.
The third line project of Titlagarh-Vijaynagaram railway is in stage-1 phase. The project has been stuck over conversion of 14.364 hectares of forest land in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
To remove all such bottlenecks, a high-level review meeting will be held November 23. The meeting will be attended by the additional chief secretary of the forest and environment department, officials of the East Coast Railway division and Railway Vikash Nigam Limited. It is expected that a solution for the long-pending forest land disputes will be worked out to clear these major railway projects.
PNN
