Rourkela: It seems that the delay in the Talcher-Bimalagarh railway link in Sundargarh district is finally over. Eight companies participated Monday in the bidding process for laying the tracks between Bimalagarh and Mahudhia. People are hopeful that with the bidding over, any one of the eight will be allotted the project and work will begin on the 35-kilometre stretch between Bimalagarh and Mahudhia. The bidding process was conducted at the East Coast Railway office in Bhubaneswar. Among those who participated in the bidding, only one company is from Jharsuguda.
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The project had been lying in limbo for quite some time now. However, with the BJP coming to power in Odisha, the project, which was launched in the early 1960s, got a new lease of life. Since the unveiling of the plan to build the new railway tracks, land acquisition has been a major issue for both ECoR and the state government. Railway officials said that the tender for the work will be allotted next month. They added that the laying of 35-km track for Rs 535 crore will be completed by October 2026. Sources in the district administration and ECoR informed that Sundargarh Collector Manoj Satyawan Mahajan has been entrusted with the responsibility of solving the contentious land issues. ECoR sources also informed that the Railway Ministry is keen to complete the work within the scheduled time frame.