Bhanjanagar: Residents have been demanding a new railway line connecting Gopalpur via Bhanjanagar and Redhakhol for a long time. While this demand remains unfulfilled, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government has shown renewed interest in advancing the project.
In a significant move, the Odisha government has initiated steps to include Phulbani in the rail line despite the area being excluded from the initial phase of the survey.
The proposed rail line will stretch from Mujagada in Bhanjanagar block in Ganjam district, passing through Phulbani, and extending to Boudh. The state government has assigned the task of preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the railway line to Odisha Rail Infrastructure Development Limited (ORIDL).
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A tender was floated by ORIDL, and it was officially opened January 6. Subsequently, ORIDL issued a letter of intent to the selected consultancy agency for the survey and DPR preparation February 22.
The contract, valued at Rs 1.29 crore, mandates the surveyor to finalise the rail route, prepare a comprehensive project report, and draft a land acquisition plan. The consultancy agency is expected to complete the DPR within eight months and submit it to ORIDL, after which the state government will forward it to the Union government.
The project will be implemented in joint collaboration between the state and the Union governments. Upon DPR completion, funding approval will be sought from both the Central and state Budgets.
Notably, in 2011, the then UPA government initiated a survey for the 254-km Gopalpur-Redhakhol rail line via Phulbani. However, no substantial progress was made in the subsequent years.
Before the last general election, an alternative route excluding Phulbani was surveyed, citing technical reasons. This triggered strong protests in Kandhamal district, further delaying the project’s progress.
Now, with the DPR preparation set to commence, locals are hopeful that the longstanding demand for the railway line will finally be addressed.
PNN
