New Delhi: Even after the Odisha Government has agreed to provide land free of cost, the Centre is yet to sanction extension of Nuapada-Gunupur railway line up to Therubali.
This was informed by Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
Giving a written statement to an un-starred question of Koraput MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, the Railways Minister said Gunupur-Therubali (79.15 km) was included in the Budget 2017-18 subject to requisite approvals.
The Government of Odisha was requested to share 50 percent cost of construction and to provide land free of cost. However, the State Government has agreed only for providing land free of cost, he said.
A Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the project has been prepared. As per DPR, the cost of the project is approximately Rs 1165.89 crore excluding the cost of land, Mr.Vaishnaw said, adding, the DPR of the project has been taken up for firming up the results thereon.
“At present, the project is not sanctioned, as such, no time line can be fixed for making it operational,” he said.
Informing about the Jeypore-Nabarangpur (41 km) new line, he said the project was sanctioned on cost sharing basis with the State Government of Odisha, in which State has to provide land free of cost and has to share 50 percent construction cost of the project.
The cost of the new railway line project is Rs 748 crore. An outlay of Rs 81 crore (Capital- Rs 46 crore + Deposit- Rs 35 crore) has been provided in the Budget 2022-23.
Project involves land acquisition of 313 hectares of private land, 36 hectares of Government land and forest land diversion 3.93 hectares land, he said.
About the Jeypore-Malkangiri (130 km) new railway line project, the Railways Minister said this project has also been sanctioned on cost sharing basis with the Government of Odisha, in which the State has to share 25 percent cost of the project.
The cost of the project is Rs 2344 crore. An outlay of Rs 13.80 crore (Capital- Rs 11 crore + Deposit- Rs 2.80 crore) has been provided in Budget 2022-23.
The Jeypore-Malkangiri project involves land acquisition of 467 hectares of private land, 211 hectares of Government land and forest land diversion 469 hectares land.
The Land acquisition has been taken up. The Odisha Government has to expedite the land acquisition process for above two projects, Mr.Vaishnaw added.
