Bhubaneswar, Dec 29: Seeking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's immediate intervention into railway affairs in the state, Odisha government on Wednesday said it should not be bypassed from different ambitious projects like dedicated freight corridor aligned with mega industrial hubs, national road expressways and high speed train projects.
“It appears that the state has been bypassed from different ambitious projects even as some of the country's largest investments in the steel, aluminium and power sectors are coming up in Odisha,” Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said in a letter to the Prime Minister.
Noting that the volume of investment in the state in diverse sectors at different stages is in excess of a stagging Rs 8,85,000 crore, Patnaik said that his government have taken up important steps to create greenfield ports dotting the state's coastline that would be country's gateway to international maritime trade as well as logistic channel between the eastern and western coast within India.
With the rail borne traffic estimated to cross 300 million tonne in next five years, Patnaik requested the Prime Minister to issue direction to railway ministry to undertake time bound infrastructure in the state.
“In this context, the eastern dedicated freight corridor from Ludhiana to Dankuni should be extended till Berhampur in the state so as to ensure seamless movement of freight between the ports and the vast eastern and central hinterland,” Patnaik said.
This apart, Patnaik also demanded the much sought after rail lines like Bhadrachalam Road-Talcher rail line via Malkangiri-Jeypore-Lanjigarh, Sambalpur-Brahmapur new line via Phulbani and Raygada-Gopalpur-Bhismagiri be accorded National Project status for early completion.
Highlighting that the entire Naxal-hit areas of the state lacked rail network, the chief minister said that Left wing extremism could easily be tackled once there was rail connectivity.
This apart, Patnaik also demanded the much sought after rail lines like Bhadrachalam Road-Talcher rail line via Malkangiri-Jeypore-Lanjigarh, Sambalpur-Brahmapur new line via Phulbani and Raygada-Gopalpur-Bhismagiri be accorded National Project status for early completion.
Highlighting that the entire naxal-hit areas of the state lacked rail network, the chief minister said that Left Wing Extremism could easily be tackled once there was rail connectivity.
