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Bhubaneswar: With the Assembly’s House Committee all set to meet Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu Wednesday to press for the state’s demands for augmenting railway network, Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra Tuesday urged the panel’s chairman and Speaker Niranjan Pujari to propose for a metro train facility in the state and railway development projects in western Orissa.
“Orissa is yet to get metro train services. Therefore, a proposal may be submitted to the railway minster to make provision for metro rail services on Bhubaneswar-Cuttack and Jharsuguda-Rourkela routes as these cities are significant commercial centres in the state,” wrote Mishra to Pujari in a letter.
Stating that due importance has not been attached to the development of railway projects in the state’s western parts, Mishra further wrote: “Demand for setting up of a railway wagon manufacturing unit at Kantabanji is a must… This proposal may be included in the current year’s demands for the state with a provision of Rs 30 crore”.
Mishra also urged that a demand must be placed before the Centre to ensure direct rail connectivity between New Delhi and western Orissa and introduction of more trains to link commercial metropolises like Mumbai with Bhubaneswar. He also urged that demands should be raised for linking of important Buddhist sites in the state by train services to tap their tourism potential.
Sources said the panel has come to a consensus during a meeting held on the Assembly premises Tuesday to press for all these demands along with the primary demand of Rs 5,000 crore for railway projects in the state in the 2016-17 railway budget.
Ten more proposals were included in the list of the state’s demands for the next fiscal during the meeting. A draft memorandum, which was already prepared, was also finalised in the meeting, said the sources. As per the memo, while a demand of Rs 1,050 crore will be placed for progress of ongoing rail projects in the state, Rs 2,200 crore and Rs 335 crore will be proposed for double-lining and electrification works respectively, added the sources.
The House Committee of the Assembly is scheduled to meet Suresh Prabhu in Delhi at around 3 pm Wednesday to place the state’s demands and discuss related issues.
