Bhubaneswar: The Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today has given a significant push to Odisha’s infrastructure development.
The budget focuses on logistics and transport connectivity, with plans to develop new dedicated freight corridors linking Dankuni in eastern India with Surat in the west. This aims to improve freight efficiency and reduce logistics costs.
The budget also highlights inland waterways, proposing to operationalize 20 new national waterways over the next five years, starting with Odisha to connect Talcher, Angul, Kalinganagar, Paradip and Dhamra.
The government plans to develop a ship-repair ecosystem in Varanasi and Patna, boosting inland shipping infrastructure. Additionally, a coastal cargo scheme will promote coastal shipping and domestic manufacturing of seaplanes.
“To promote environmentally sustainable movement of cargo, I propose to establish new dedicated freight corridors connecting Dankuni in the east to Surat in the west, operational 20 new waterways over the next 5 years, starting with national waterways 5 in Odisha to connect mineral-rich areas of Talcher and Angul and industrial centres like Kalinganagar to the ports of Paradip and Damra. A ship repair ecosystem, catering to inland waterways, will also be set up at Varanasi and Patna…” she announced in the parliament.
These measures aim to create a more integrated, resilient, and investment-friendly infrastructure ecosystem in the country.
