Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and dedicate a slew of railway projects worth over Rs 1,500 crore during his visit Balangir in Western Odisha January 15.
This would be Modi’s third visit to Odisha in the past one month. On his first visit to Khurdha, the Prime Minister launched Rs 14,523 crore projects for Odisha and on second visit January 5 last he inaugurated projects worth Rs 4,733 crore.
East Coast Railways (ECoR) CPRO Jyoti Prakash Mishra told the media here that the Prime Minister will dedicate the Multi-Modal Logistics Park (MMLP) Jharsuguda to the Nation.
The 28.3-acre Multi-Modal Logistics Park (MMLP) Jharsuguda built at a cost of Rs 100 crore, will facilitate EXIM and Domestic cargo including Private Freight Traffic (PFT) traffic. The facility is situated adjacent to the main line of Howrah-Mumbai, which is 5 km from Jharsuguda railway station.
MMLP Jharsuguda, Mishra said will have two full rake lines with PFT handling facilities, in-motion weighbridge, 1,100 sq m warehouse, 6,200 sq m CC paving and a 500 sqm admin building facilitating customs.
A number of industries, such as cement, paper, aluminum, refractory pig iron, sponge iron and steel pipe located in and around the catchment area will benefit from using this facility and establish Jharsuguda as a prime logistics hub in Odisha and boost ease of doing business in the state.
Modi will also inaugurate new railway line from Balangir-Bichhupali. The 15 km Balangir-Bichhupali new railway line was built at a cost of Rs 115 crore and is a part of the new 289 km Balangir-Khurda road line which connects to Howrah-Chennai main line.
Once completed, the line would connect coastal Odisha with Western Odisha through Sonepur, Boudh, Puranakatak, Daspalla and Nayagarh synchronizing development across the state as well as reduce travel time from Bhubaneswar and Puri to major cities like New Delhi and Mumbai.
The line, the CPRO said would also benefit many MSME and cottage industries in Odisha and open up opportunities for the mining sector in the state especially granite, graphite, limestone and quartz which are found abundantly in the region.
Modi will also flag off of a new train on Balangir-Bichhupali route which would benefit many commuters in the region. It will connect Bichhupali to Jharsuguda and Vizianagaram main line through Balangir.
He would also dedicate the electrification of 813 km of Jharsuguda-Vizinagaram and Sambalpur-Angul lines which has been completed at a cost of Rs 1,085 crore. The project will ensure seamless rail connectivity on the line and reduce running time due to better haulage capacity of electric locomotives and elimination of traction change from electrical to diesel.
Modi will also dedicate the doubling of 14.273 km of Barpali-Dungaripali and 17.354 km Balangir- Deogaon road line, doubling of Barpali-Dungaripali and Balangir-Deogaon road lines has been completed at a cost of Rs 189.3 crores which is a part of the 181.54 km Sambalpur-Titlagarh doubling project.
The crucial Sambalpur-Titlagarh line connects Howrah-Chennai main line with Howrah-Mumbai trunk route passing through the hinterlands of Odisha and AP. Doubling of this key railway line will give an immediate and significant boost to the industrial capacity of Odisha because of faster evacuation of materials and goods..
This apart, the Prime Minister will dedicate Bridge No. 588 between Theruvali-Singapur Road station which has been commissioned at a cost of Rs 27.4 crores to rebuild the linkage over Nagavali river which was washed away during floods in July 2017.