Gunupur: Demand is growing for early compensation to private landowners affected by the proposed Gunupur-Therubali railway project, which is considered crucial for the development of the Paralakhe mundi railway station in Gajapati district.
BJP state vice-president and Rayagada district in charge K. Narayan Rao Thursday submitted a memorandum to Principal Secretary ABS Rajput of the state Commerce and Transport department in this regard.
According to the memo randum, the development of the Paralakhemundi railway station, an important historical and heritage site in Gajapati district, depends largely on the construction of the new Gunupur-Therubali railway line.
The Government of India approved the 73.63-km-long railway line project in August 19, 2024. Later, Indian Rail ways issued a gazette notifi cation under Section 20(A) for acquisition of pri vate land for the project May 6, 2025.
Following this, the Special Land Acquisition Officer in the Rayagada Collector’s office prepared an estimate of compensation to be paid to affected landowners in the Gunupur-Therubali region. The project covers 51 villages under Gunupur, Ramanaguda, Kolnara and Bissam Cuttack tehsils in Rayagada district.
Nearly 800 acres of private land are expected to be affected by the project. As per the assessment made by the Special Land Acquisition Officer, the total compensation amount for affected private landowners is estimated at around Rs 1,000 crore.