Bhubaneswar: As the Haridaspur-Paradip rail line construction work has been on the verge of completion, Odisha Chief Secretary today laid stress on running of passenger train along the new line by the end of this year.
This was revealed from the review made by the Prime Minister’s Office Project Management Committee presided over by Odisha Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi at the Lok Seba Bhawan (State Secretariat) here.
As the Union Cabinet Committee Project Supervising Group’s Joint Secretary Rajiv Agarwal was also present at the meeting, the Odisha Chief Secretary urged him to see that the running of passenger train between Haridaspur-Paradip Rail Line.
Agarwal assured that he would consult the Railway Board in this regard.
State Project Management Cell Secretary Pradip Kumar Jena put forth the problems faced by the executing agencies for discussion.
The high level review meeting also revealed that there has been remarkable progress in the execution of large investment projects undergoing in Odisha. The land acquisition and encroachment eviction required for almost all the road construction and railway infrastructures has been completed and the construction activities of the projects have been expedited.
Today’s review meeting discussed about the 26 big projects being executed in the State at an estimated cost of Rs 54,000 crore.
The discussions featured handing over of the acquired land, development of rehabilitation sites and construction of colony, forest clearance, environment clearance, distribution of compensation amount, compensatory afforestation, eviction of encroachment, etc.
The meeting also revealed that construction work of Haridaspur-Paradip Rail Line, being executed at an estimated cost of Rs 1000 crore, has reached its completion. The meeting has targeted to start running of train on this rail line by the end of this year.
Similarly, the required land acquired for 112 km stretch rail line of the Khurda-Bolangir project has been handed over. It is being built at an investment of Rs 3550 crore. The rest of the land acquisition work has been expedited.
Also the other major projects were discussed in the high level meeting.
