Centre allocates record Rs 10,586 crore for Odisha railway development

Bhubaneswar, July 24: The Centre has earmarked a record Rs10,586 crore for railway infrastructure development in the Union Budget, as announced by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday.

During a press conference, Vaishnaw highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment to advancing rail infrastructure in Odisha, noting that the Prime Minister personally oversees the progress of various ongoing projects in the state. Vaishnaw expressed his gratitude to PM Modi for this unprecedented allocation and also thanked Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for the budgetary provision.

"Under the previous UPA government, Odisha received a meager Rs 838 crore. In contrast, the BJP-led government has increased the allocation twelvefold, underscoring the Centre's dedication to accelerating Odisha's development," Vaishnaw stated.

He further mentioned that Rs 54,434 crore would be invested in the ongoing 40 projects in Odisha, anticipating a significant transformation in the state's railway infrastructure during PM Modi's third term. Vaishnaw also noted that since 2014, 427 flyovers and underpasses have been constructed in Odisha.

Odisha has achieved complete electrification of its railway network, and 59 railway stations, including Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, will be redeveloped as part of the Amrit Bharat Station scheme.

The list of the 59 railway stations to be redeveloped includes Angul, Badampahar, Balangir, Baleshwar, Balugaon, Barbil, Bargarh Road, Baripada, Barpali, Belpahar, Betnoti, Bhadrak, Bhawanipatna, Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar New, Bimlagarh, Brahmapur, Brajrajnagar, Chatrapur, Cuttack, Damanjodi, Dhenkanal, Gunupur, Harishanker Road, Himgir, Hirakud, Jajpur Keonjhar Road, Jaleswar, Jaroli, Jeypore, Jharsuguda Junction, Jharsuguda Road, Kantabanji, Kendujhargarh, Kesinga, Khariar Road, Khurda Road Junction, Koraput Junction, Lingaraj Temple Road, Mancheswar, Meramandali, Muniguda, Panposh, Paradeep, Parlakhemundi, Puri, Raghunathpur, Rairakhol, Rairangpur, Rajgangpur, Rayagada, Rourkela, Sakhi Gopal, Sambalpur, Sambalpur City, Soro, Talcher, and Talcher Road, and Titlagarh Junction.