BS reported that the Indian Railways has planned major infrastructure facilities like freight nodal points, container park and a coaching complex to cater to the proposed Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical Investment Region in Paradeep.
Addressing the media after flagging off the Bhubaneswar-Paradeep Intercity express, Mr KC Jena chairman of Railway Board said that “Paradeep is poised to emerge as one of the major industrial hubs in Orissa and it is also the site for the proposed PCPIR in the state. A master plan is being prepared for the Paradeep region and according to this plan, the Railways will set up infrastructure facilities like freight nodal points, container park and a coaching complex.”
Mr Jena said that the Railways is also committed to boost connectivity in the Paradeep region which includes the 82 kilometer Paradeep to Haridaspur broad gauge line, being taken up at an investment of INR 577.78 crore. East Coast Railway has acquired 1,146 acres of private land out of the total of 1,653 acres of land required for the project. This project being implemented by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited is scheduled for completion by March 2011.
He said that “The Indian Railways is investing INR 75,000 crore on upgradation of infrastructure which includes the amount to be spent on the two dedicated freight corridors. Rail India Technical and Economic Services was engaged to study the viability of other corridors like Kolkata to Mumbai, Delhi to Chennai and Kolkata to Chennai and the initial reports have been very promising.”
On the 290 kilometer Khurda Road to Bolangir project, Mr Jena said that “Work is already in progress for the first 36 kilometer stretch of the project and the fund for the second phase of the project is likely to be sanctioned in this year’s railway budget.” He added that the project had suffered delay due to land acquisition problems and a fast track committee for railway projects formed under the chairmanship of the Orissa Chief Secretary was making efforts to expedite the process of land acquisition.
Mr Jena added that the overall outlay for the various railway projects in Orissa stood at INR 1,049 crore in 2008-09, compared to INR 764 crore in the previous fiscal and the sanctioned figure excludes the projects being implemented by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited.
(Sourced from Business Standard)
