Bhubaneswar: Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, accompanied by his wife Jayshree Kambhampati, Saturday visited the Jagannath temple in Puri, an official statement said.
They paid obeisance to Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra and sought the blessings of the sibling deities for the continued peace, progress and prosperity of Odisha and the well-being of its people.
Later, the governor visited the site of the ongoing Puri railway station development project and reviewed the progress of work to transform the station into a modern, passenger-friendly transportation hub, it said.
Through a miniature model and detailed project maps, railway officials showcased the modern facilities being created for passengers.
The upgraded station will provide a wide range of amenities, including food courts, Jan Ahaar outlets, retiring rooms, dormitories, passenger lounges, automatic ticket vending machines, dedicated parking spaces for differently abled persons, baggage scanners and barrier-free entry and exit systems, the statement said.
He later inspected different sections of the project site and reviewed the pace and quality of ongoing construction work.
“As one of the country’s foremost pilgrimage gateways, Puri deserves world-class railway infrastructure. The ongoing modernisation will greatly improve comfort, accessibility, and the overall travel experience for devotees and visitors,” Kambhampati wrote in a social media post.
He subsequently chaired a review meeting with senior officials of the East Coast Railway (ECoR) and the district administration at the Puri Lok Bhavan, the statement said.
He was briefed on the status of the Puri railway station development project and the progress of the proposed Puri-Konark railway link project.
During the meeting, the governor emphasised that the station development project should be completed before the 2027 Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, ensuring that lakhs of devotees, pilgrims and passengers benefit from the improved facilities and get a better travel experience, it said.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for modern and world-class railway infrastructure across the country, he noted that such projects play a vital role in improving connectivity, promoting tourism and strengthening economic growth.
To ensure adherence to timelines, the governor advised officials to undertake weekly monitoring of work progress and periodic reviews.
He was also apprised of the progress of major railway station development and modernisation works being undertaken across Odisha, including at Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Sambalpur, Berhampur and other stations under the jurisdiction of East Coast Railway.
Reiterating the need for timely completion of all ongoing projects, he called upon all agencies concerned to work in a coordinated manner and ensure that the benefits of modern railway infrastructure reach the people at the earliest, contributing to Odisha’s development and enhancing passenger services across the state, the statement added.
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