Modi to launch projects in Odisha worth over Rs 4500 cr

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to launch on Saturday a basket of central government projects in Odisha worth more than Rs 4500 crore. The projects will be inaugurated during Modi's visit to Baripada in Mayurbhanj district, officials said Thursday. This is his second visit to the eastern state in less than a fortnight. He had unveiled a slew of projects here and addressed a BJP rally near Khurda on December 24. The projects to be dedicated to the nation in Baripada include four laning of the Rs 828.36 crore 43.2 km Rimuli-Koida section of NH 215, four laning of 104.2 km of Singara-Binjabahal section of NH-6 at a project cost of Rs 1,313 crore, four laning of 53.2 km of Koida-Rajmunda Section of NH-215 at a project cost of Rs 1,176.4 crore, the officials said.

The prime minister would also dedicate the Balasore-Haldia-Durgapur section of Paradip-Haldia-Durgapur LPG Pipeline of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, they said. The 513 km Balasore-Haldia-Durgapur section, being built at a cost of Rs 1,080 crore is part of the Paradip-Haldia-Durgapur LPG pipeline which is the first LPG pipeline laid by IOCL in Eastern India. The 670 km Paradip-Haldia-Durgapur line has been built at a cost of Rs 1,330 crore and will ensure uninterrupted supply to Odisha and neighbouring states, they said.

Railway projects to be launched include flagging of the second passenger train from Tatanagar to Badampahar. The Tatanagar-Badampahar railway line was laid in 1911 and only one train ran on the route. A second passenger train will now be flagged off on this historic line to benefit people of Badampahar who will now have rail-linkage to Howrah and Mumbai via Tatanagar for six days a week. Electrification of the line has also been sanctioned in 2018-19, officials said. Modi will also dedicate the doubling of Naranpur-Basantpur and Chillikidara-Sagadapata line to the nation. The doubling of 11.3 KM Chillikidara-Sagadapata line and 9 KM Naranpur-Basantpur line will connect the mineral-rich area of Keonjhar and Jajpur districts in Odisha and generate industrial revenue.

The prime minister will also dedicate to the nation the multi-modal logistics park (MMLP) at Balasore built at a cost of Rs 25 crore which will have custom facilitation centre for export/import. It will have a custom bonded area of 38325 sqm, one full-length rail line, two warehouses and road weighbridge, the officials said. Modi is slated to inaugurate conservation and development works for Rasikaray Temple and the excavated structure at the ancient fort of Haripurgarh, which was the 14th-century stronghold of the Bhanja Dynasty of Mayurbhanj, the officials said.

Enhanced tourist facilities like drinking water, stone benches, sanitation and security facilities would boost tourism at Haripurgarh and add another feather to the rich bouquet of heritage tourism in Odisha, they said. In addition, passport sewa kendras will be inaugurated at post offices in Bhadrak, Cuttack, Jajpur, Aska, Keonjhar and Dhenkanal. Currently, people have to go to the regional passport office at Bhubaneswar, the officials added.

(With inputs from agencies.)