Odisha gets Rs 6,995 crore in railway budget for 2021-22

With focus on earlycompletion of ongoing projects as well as safety-relatedmodernisation works, the Centre has allocated a total outlayof Rs 6,995.58 crore for Odisha in the 2021-22 Railway Budget,an official statement issued by the East Coast Railways said.The fresh allocation is about 60 per cent more thanthe previous 2020-21 fiscals railway budget outlay of Rs4,373 crore.

With focus on earlycompletion of ongoing projects as well as safety-relatedmodernisation works, the Centre has allocated a total outlayof Rs 6,995.58 crore for Odisha in the 2021-22 Railway Budget,an official statement issued by the East Coast Railways said.

The fresh allocation is about 60 per cent more thanthe previous 2020-21 fiscal's railway budget outlay of Rs4,373 crore. The funding for Odisha in 2021-22 under all planheads combined is Rs 6,995.58 crore, it said.

The state government had, however, presented a demandof Rs 7,200 crore for the railway infrastructure in Odisha.

''The total budget outlay for development ofinfrastructure and safety related works for Odisha is Rs 5,528crore for 2021-22, which does not include many other projectsand estimates as they are not significant enough for mentionat ministry level, but for ECoR and Odisha, these areimportant development works,'' the statement said.

The allotment has been significant for projects to becompleted in 2020-21, it said, adding that funding is toensure that no progress is hindered for lack of funds. Therehas been a significant increase in outlay for passengeramenities, road safety works, in terms of Road Under Bridgeand Over Bridges, and Limited Height Subway (LHS).

While claiming that the Narendra Modi government hasall along been cooperative towards railway infrastructuredevelopment in Odisha, Union Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhansaid Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has allocatedRs 1,000.50 crore for Khurda Road-Bolangir project against theprevious year's allocation of Rs 520 crore.

The fresh allocation is an increase of 92.4 per centfrom the previous year's outlay for this project, Pradhansaid.

He urged the state government to complete landacquisition for the project so that the allocated funds beutilised within 2021-22 fiscal. Pradhan said this railwayproject will connect the coastal region with the western partsof the state.

Similarly, funding for railway line doubling projectsespecially, Bansapani-Daitari-Tomka-Jahkapura is Rs 228 croreagainst Rs 80 crore last year, which is an 185 per centincrease.

This apart, more allocations have been made for otherprojects like - Brundamal-Jharsuguda fly over (Rs 20 croreagainst Rs 10 crore last year), Bhadrak-Nergundi 3rd Line (Rs229 crore against Rs 102 crore last year), Budhapank-Salagaon(Rs 215 crore against Rs 205 crore last year), Rourkela-Jharsuguda 3rd line (Rs 230 crore as against Rs 170 crore anincrease of 35 per cent), Narayangarh-Bhadrak 3rd Line (Rs 225crore as against Rs 50 crore, an increase of 350 per cent).

A quantum jump has been given to passenger amenitiesfrom Rs 129 crore to Rs 429 crore, the railways said, addingthat in order to eliminate level crossing of LC Gates Rs 400crore has been sanctioned as against Rs 324 crore last year.

Odisha's Transport and Commerce minister PadmanabhBehera, however, termed the allocation made for the railwaysector in 2021-21 as ''disappointing.'' ''There is no sanction for any new rail line. Ourdemand is not met. Practically Odisha will get only Rs 4,500crore which is much less than our expectation,'' Behera toldPTI.

Behera said the state had demanded Rs 7,200 crore ofwhich Rs 3,500 crore was for the pending projects and Rs 3,700crore for new projects. However, the Centre allocated only Rs4,500 crore of which only Rs 500 crore has been allocated forthe ongoing Khurda-Balangir railway project.

He rejected the Railway's claim that Rs 6,995.58 crorehas been allocated for different railway projects. ''In thelist of the railway projects prepared by the Centre, manycompleted projects are mentioned only to increase the figure,''Behera said.

He said the state had demanded allocation for newrailway projects like Puri-Konark, Bargarh-Nuapada, Chakulia-Buramara and Jajpur-Aradi-Dhamra among others.

Meanwhile, the opposition Congress criticised theCentre for not meeting the requirement of Odisha even as thestate contributed a lot towards Indian Railway's revenuegeneration. ''The Centre made more allocations for the stateswhere elections will be held in 2021,'' alleged OPCC presidentNiranjan Patnaik.

Pradhan, however, without taking the name of anypolitical party, said that Odisha had received per annumaverage allocations in the railway budget of Rs 838 crorebetween 2009 and 2014 while the same was Rs 4,126 crorebetween 2014 and 2019.

Referring to the Odisha minister's allegations,Pradhan said ''Some people have been saying something withouthaving facts.'' PTI AAMRG RG