Chandikhol: Even as 2019 came to an end, launch of train services on the Haridaspur-Paradip rail route still remained a dream, a report said Wednesday. The railway authorities had announced to complete the railway project soon and launch train services on the route by the year-end. However, things did not shape up as expected as the authorities failed to launch train services on the route as per their announcement.
The residents in Kendrapara district were excited for launch of train services as the project would have connected Kendrapara district in the railway map. However, this did not happen as the consultancy agency has failed to complete the project within the deadline.
The state government is providing all assistance for speedy completion of the project but the consultancy agency lagged behind.
Earlier, Prasant Kumar Mishra, the managing director of the railway project, had said that the 82-km long railway line passing through Jajpur, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur districts will be completed by December, 2019. However, things did not turn out as expected as authorities failed to launch train services by year-end.
Meanwhile, more than 87 per cent work on the project has been completed with laying of 64-km railway track. An electric railway tower engine had made its way through the 42-km railway line from Haridaspur to Kendrapara in June, 2019.
This has shattered the hopes of residents of Jajpur, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur districts who were waiting for last 22 years for the launch of train services on the route.
Sources said, the railway authorities had scheduled the launch of train services on the route since 2016. Later, the Rail Vikash Nigam Ltd (RVNL) announced to run train services on the route from June 2019 after being pulled up by the railway department for their failure in sticking to the schedule.
This time they also failed for which they later announced to launch the train services from December. However, train failed to run on the route as the project work is yet to get completed.
Land acquisition for the project was started in 1997. Then the RVNL had announced that the land acquisition work would be completed by 2007 and later the rail route work will start. The project was scheduled to get completed by 2009. However, the project work is yet to get completed and repeatedly missing the deadline.
PNN