The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Wednesday approved four Railway Ministry projects costing about Rs 9,450 crore. The projects encompass a cumulative length of 410 km across Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also approved upgradation of the Muzaffarpur-Sitamarhi-Sonbarsa section of NH-22 in Bihar to four-lane standard, at an estimated cost of Rs 3,590.73 crore. It holds significant strategic and economic relevance because it integrates with Bihar’s expanding National Highway network.
Earlier, the Cabinet approved a mega road project for Varanasi, which includes an 89-kilometre elevated road network along the rivers Ganga and Varuna.
Details of the construction of a fourth line
- Kharagpur – Bhadrak (Ranital) 4th Line – 173 km (West Bengal and Odisha)
- Bhadrak – Haridaspur 4th Line – 75 km (Odisha)
- Gummidipundi – Gudur 3rd and 4th Line – 90 km (Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu)
- Cuttack – Paradeep (Badabandha) 3rd and 4th Line – 72 km (Odisha)
“The Cabinet has approved the Kharagpur to Bhadrak project. It goes via Baleshwar and down to Rupsa; after Rupsa, down to Bhadrak. This is complete along the entire coast of Odisha. This is a line going along the coast. This line is now being made into four lines between Kharagpur and Bhadrak… Two mega bridges will be built. 41 major bridges and 169 minor bridges will be built… The total project length is 173 kilometres, and the cost of the project will be Rs 3352 crores…,” said Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Project to cover 8 districts
The four projects covering eight districts across West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh will enhance connectivity to approximately 6,448 villages. According to data available, these villages have a population of about 60 lakhs.
According to Vaishnaw, the proposed capacity enhancement will improve rail connectivity to several prominent tourist destinations across the country, including Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhitarkanika National Park, Maa Bhadrakali temple, Maa Dhamarai temple, Panchalingeswar Temple, Talsari–Udaypur and Chandipur Beach, Pulicat Lake, Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary, Lord Veeraraghava Perumal Temple, Gada Kujanga Jagannath Temple, Sarala Temple, Dhabaleswar Temple, Lalitgiri (a Buddhist site), etc.
Also, the proposed projects are essential routes for transporting commodities such as coal, iron ore, cement, iron and steel, containers, automobiles, food grains, etc.
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