TUESDAY, 26 FEBRUARY
2013 21:18
SUDHIR MISHRA |
BALANGIR
HITS: 0
·
·
·
The much-expected yet long-neglected Khurda-Balangir
railway line project, which has been moving at a snail’s pace thanks to paucity
of funds, should receive an allocation of Rs400 crore in the new Railway
Budget. This is the expectation of people cutting across party lines here.
“We expect an allocation of Rs 400
crore for the railway line this time and work should start from the Balangir
side. Besides this, a rail wagon manufacturing factory should be set up at
Kantabanji,” said Balangir BJD MP Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo speaking to The
Pioneer over phone.
The Khurda-Balangir railway line
project was approved in as far back as in 1993 at a cost of Rs 289 crore, but
the project cost has, meanwhile, risen to more than Rs 700 crore.
The same feeling about an accelerated
implementation of the project was echoed by president of the Citizens’
Committee, Balangir Dr LK Mahapatra. “We expect an allocation of Rs 400 crore
for the project, besides the construction work being undertaken from the
Balangir side,” he said.
Railway Users’ Committee president
Nilamani Mishra, while holding the same view, said, “The Deputy General Manager
of the East Coast Railway has informed us they have submitted a proposal to the
Railway Board Chairman to start work from the Balangir side.
Kosal Kranti Dal president Pramod
Mishra observed that the project has been languishing for apathy, improper
representation of the issue by political representatives. “We demand a
budgetary allocation of Rs 400 crore besides the project’s completion within
three years,” he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment