Union Cabinet approves Four Multitracking Railway Projects-3 in Odisha with total cost of Rs. 9,450 crore
By B.Maharana
New Delhi, August 19
The Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Wednesday approved four multitracking projects of Ministry of Railways includidng three in Odisha with total cost of Rs. 9,450 crore approximately.
Briefing media after the Cabinet meeting in New Delhi , Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Vaishnaw informed that four multitracking projects of Railway will cover eight districts across West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. These projects are Kharagpur Bhadrak 4th line, Bhadrak – Haridaspur 4th line, Gummidipundi – Gudur 3rd and 4th line and Cuttack – Paradeep 3rd and 4th line. This will add about 410 kilometer to Indian Railways network.
Vaishnaw informed that with total estimated cost of 9,450 crore rupees, the projects are scheduled for completion by 2030-31.
The 04 (Four) projects covering 08 Districts across the states of West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, will increase the existing network of Indian Railways by about 410 Kms. The proposed multi-tracking projects will enhance connectivity to approximately 6,448 villages, which are having a population of about 60 lakhs.
The proposed capacity enhancement will improve rail connectivity to several prominent tourist destinations across the country, including Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhitarkanika National Park, Maa Bhadrakali temple, Maa Dhamarai temple, Panchalingeswar Temple, Talsari–Udaypur and Chandipur Beach, Gada Kujanga Jagannath Temple, Sarala Temple, Dhabaleswar Temple, Lalitgiri (a Buddhist site), Pulicat Lake, Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary, Lord Veeraraghava Perumal Temple etc. he said.
The proposed projects are essential routes for transportation of commodities such as coal, iron ore, cement, iron and steel, container, automobile, food grains, etc. The capacity augmentation works will result in additional freight traffic of magnitude 76 MTPA (Million Tonnes Per Annum). The Railways being environment friendly and energy efficient mode of transportation, will help both in achieving climate goals and minimizing logistics cost of the country, reduce oil import (~13 Crore Litres) and lower CO2 emissions (~65 Crore Kg) which is equivalent to plantation of 2.60 crore trees.