State seeks Rs 1,000 cr in Railway Budget

Pioneer News Service Bhubaneswar
House Commitee to visit Delhi

The House Committee of the State Legislative Assembly would soon submit a memorandum to the Union Ministry of Railways demanding Rs 1,000 crore in the Railway Budget for 2008-09. In this connection, a delegation lead by Assembly Speaker Maheswar Mohanty would visit New Delhi on a possible date between November 10 to 17.

During their visit they would meet the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and submit the memorandum. The House Committee in its meeting on Monday approved the final draft of the memorandum. It may be noted that during 2006-07, the State demanded Rs 785 crore.

In its memorandum, the committee also recommends increase in allotment for ongoing projects, sanction of new railway lines, survey, and introduction of new trains, completion of sanctioned projects, electrification and doubling of lines.
For the expansion of Haridaspur-Paradeep (82 km) line, the committee demands Rs 150 crore to ensure expeditious completion of works. The Ministry of Railways has also been requested to allot Rs 100 crore for the Lanjigarh Road-Junagarha (56 km) line and ensure commissioning of the section between Lanjigarh to Bhawanipatna by December, 2008.
The Committee in its memorandum also demanded an allotment of Rs 100 crore for the Khurda Road-Bolangir (289 km) line and also of commissioning the section from 0-36 km.
On the Angul-Duburi-Sukinda road (90 km) project, the land acquisition process is yet to commence. The Ministry of Railways has been requested to allot Rs 50 crore for the project, the Committee said in its memorandum.

For the Talcher-Bimalagarh (154 km), the Committee demanded an allotment of Rs 50 crore for 2008-09. On the Daitari- Banspani Rail Link Project (155 km), the committee in its memorandum says the BG (Broad Gauge) rail link was commissioned in February,2007. However, residual works will have to be completed. The Ministry of Railways has been requested to allocate Rs 50 crore for this project. It also urged the Railway Ministry to take up gauge conversion works for Rupsa-Bangiriposi and Nuapada-Gunpur railway link.

In its memorandum, the committee also urged the Rail Ministry to start new lines connecting Jeypor-Malknagiri, Bargarha-Nuapda via Padamapur, conversion and extension of Nuapada-Gunupur BG raillink to Theruvali, Jaleswar-Digha, Puri-Konark, Talcher-Gopalpur, Rupsa-Bangiriposi to Gorumahisani, Badampahar to Keonjhar, Berhampur to Phulbani.

The Committee in its memorandum also urged the Ministry to take up survey works in Gopalpur-Rayagada, Jajpur-Keonjhar Road-Jajpur, Sambalpur-Berhampur, Bolangir-Nawapara, Bansapani to Bimalgarh, Lanjhigarha to Boudha via Charichhaka.
It also urged the Railway Ministry to take steps for doubling of the Sambalpur-Talcher BG Rail link, Daitari-Bansapani. The Ministry has also been requested to sanction electrification for Daitari-Banspani BG rail link, Haridaspur-Paradeep BG Rail link, Talcher- Sambalpur BG rail link and Sambalpur, Jharsuguda BG rail link.

It also demanded introduction of Super fast express from Sambalpur to Allahabad, Superfast from Puri to Kanyakumari, Express train from Titlagarh to Puri ( Via Sambalpur), Inter City Express between Koraput and Rourkela via Rayagada, Express train from Vishakhapatnam to Howrah via Titlagarh, Raipur and Bilaspur, Express train between Baripada and Visakhapatnam, Express between Gandhidham ( Kutch) to Puri, Express train from Puri to Allahabad, Express train from Baripada to Howrah, Intercity between Jharsuguda and Bhuabenswar. It also demanded a new express train between Howrah and Bhubaneswar, Superfast Express between Rourkela to New Delhi ( Daily), Intercity Express between Sambalpur and Rourkela, direct train between Bhubaneswar-Ambala-Chandigarh, Intercity /Shatabdi Express between Paradeep and Puri.

It also demanded an increase in frequency of Rajdhani train and make it daily. Similarly, frequency of Bhubaneswar- Kurla Express may be increased to three days in a week. The train is popular for passengers traveling from Western Orissa. "Frequency of Vishakhapatnam-Nizamuddin Express train may be increased to daily from 3 days in a week," the committee mentions in its report.

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