Jajpur: Residents of Jajpur district were left disappointed after the proposed rail route from Jajpur Road to Dhamra port via Jajpur town and Aradi in Bhadrak district failed to find mention in the Union Budget recently tabled by the Centre in the Parliament. A plan outlay of Rs 2,996.81 lakh has been prepared for construction of the 96-km long rail route. The East Coast Railway (ECoR) has prepared and submitted a detailed project report (DPR) before the Railways Board for approval.
Construction of the new rail route will require 1,693.46 acre land which includes 1,316.451 acre private land, 294.379 acre of government land and 12.775 acre of forest land. Land acquisition was also planned for construction of the new rail route. However, the project not finding any mention in the Budget has sparked resentment among the residents. According to information received under Right to Information (RTI) Act, a consultancy agency SM Consultants was given the work order for preparing DPR and final location survey October 27, 2023. The work order included surveys like geotechnical investigation, signalling works, electrical and operating works and civil engineering. Ministry of Railways had sanctioned Rs 2.40 crore funds for the purpose. The agency was asked to submit reports on location surveys, DPR and others within four months of receiving the work order. However, the submission of the DPR exceeded the prescribed period and took nine months. The negligence sparked resentment among the denizens as they demanded to take immediate steps for realisation of the rail route project under the banner of Sangram Samiti. The project will bring immense benefit for rail users when completed as passenger trains will run at 160 km per hour and goods train at 65km speed per hour. As many as 30 big bridges and 88 small bridges will be constructed under this project. Similarly, the project will have 12 railway stations in both the districts out of which Jajpur will have nine including the present Jajpur Road railway station and Bhadrak will have three. The present Jajpur Road railway station will serve as a railway junction while Chhotraypur, Rampur, Segadi, Bahabalapur, Jajpur, Jaleswar, Sripura, Mangalpur, Aradi, Chandbali, Bhitarkanika and Dhamra will be the other stations.
Funds worth Rs 299.68 crore will be spent in the first year of construction, Rs 449.52 crore in the second year, Rs 1,048.89 crore in the third year, and Rs 1,198.73 crore in the fourth year. The DPR mentions that the estimated cost might escalate and reach Rs 3,315.76 crore. The rail route project will benefit industrial firms like Jindal Stainless Steel, Tata Steel, Nilachal Ispat in Kalinganagar, Dhamra port, inner coal corridor-I and II, Vedanta Aluminum, Vedanta Power, Bhushan Power and Steel, Aryan Ispat, Hindalco LPG, Shyam Metallics, Vedanta Alumina, ACC Ltd, Hindalco in Sambalpur, Bali Parbat iron ore mines, Nalco, JSW and help transport iron ore by the mining firms from SER to ECoR. The project, after its completion by 2029, will help 16,84,840 passengers travel by train. The DPR also mentions that Dhamara port will face traffic problem if the rail route is not constructed. In case of a construction delay, the estimated project cost will escalate and the pressure on Paradip port will increase.
However, the DPR hoped that the completion of the project within the deadline depended on the efficiency of the departmental officers. According to the RTI reply, 17 proposed rail route projects are under survey. However, it is still not known when the survey will be completed, the final report will get approval and work will start. The modalities for starting rail route projects include land acquisition, forest land conversion and sanction of compensation. The slow pace of work on Khurda Road-Bolangir rail route project is a case in this point. The project work has continued for the last 29 years but has yet to be completed. Similarly, reports said construction of seven rail route projects is underway after receiving approval.