Odisha Transport Minister seeks sanction of new railway line between Bargarh and Nuapada via Padampur

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Commerce and Transport Minister Tukuni Sahu today wrote a letter to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw demanding sanction of a new railway line between bargarh and Nuapada via Padampur.

In her letter to the Union Minister, Tukuni Sahu said, “It may be noted that since the year 2018, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Odisha government have been requesting Ministry of Railways to sanction the important railways line between Bargarh and Nuapada, via Padampur. The project has a rate of return (RoR) of 17.31% as per study undertaken by East Coast Railways and communicated to Ministry of Railways earlier.”

“This railway project can offer an important communication link to the people of the two districts of Odisha and act as a potential catalyst for rapid economic development of Western Odisha. With this new line, the western Odisha region will get a shorter and quicker connectivity with the coastal Odisha through the Khurda-Balangir line,” she added.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had in 2019 informed that the Railway Minister will approve a project on the route.

The State Transport Minister further said that despite the Odisha government coming forward to offer all cooperation, the important project is still waiting to advance from paperwork and surveys through other agencies. It may be noted that the Ministry of Railways has suggested that Stated led JV, ORIDL, to undertake the surveys. Given the immense benefit the new line will offer, Indian Railways need to come forward, allocate funds and start the work immediately.

“Therefore, in the interest of the people of Odisha, I would request you to reconsider the decision of your ministry and sanction this very important railway line and entrust East-Coast Railways to begin the land acquisition process and start construction work expeditiously,” she wrote.