Project to cover seven districts in state that do not have rail connectivity
Post News Network
New Delhi: In an effort to provide railway connectivity to all districts in the state, the Orissa government and the railway ministry have signed an MoU Wednesday to set up a joint venture company. The state government will have 51 per cent share in the venture while the Railway ministry will have 49%.
“We have signed a MoU with Orissa government for setting up of a joint venture company,” said Union railway minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu.
“In my budget speech, I had said the Railway department would sign MoUs with various important state governments to form joint venture companies to look after railway work like doubling, tripling of railway lines in these states. I had several discussions with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in this regard. Orissa has huge potential in mining and tourism sectors. However, due to lack of railway connectivity, these sectors have not been developed,” he said
All the seven districts which do not have rail connectivity, including Nayagarh, Boudh, Kandhamal, Kendrapara, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur and Deogarh, will be covered in this project.
“Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s promise in the electoral manifesto to provide railway connectivity to all districts has been realised now. Apart this, a few projects that people have been asking for will be covered in this MoU. The state government will contribute 51 per cent in the proposed joint venture and the railway department will contribute 49 per cent. Work in this regard will be started soon,” said Orissa transport minister Ramesh Chandra Majhi.
“It is a historic day. I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and railway minister Suresh Prabhu for this initiative. It will help growth of railway network in Orissa. I hope, by this agreement, Orissa will surpass all India average in terms of railway connectivity in other states,” said Union tribal affairs minister Jual Oram who was present on this occasion.
The joint venture company will undertake project development, financing and implementation of the railway projects. It will have an authorised share capital of Rs 200 crore with initial paid up capital of Rs 100 crore.
The land acquisition for the project will be done by the state government and the project would be implemented by the zonal railway concerned or any other agency as decided by the company in consultation with the railway ministry.
Those who were present on this occasion were BJD MPs Balabhadra Majhi, Rabindra Kumar Jena, Prasana Kumar Patasani, Jhina Hikaka, AV Swamy, Nagendra Pradhan, Anubhav Mohanty, Rita Tarai, Sidhanta Mohapatra.
