Project to miss March deadline

KENDRAPARA: The 82-km Haridaspur-Paradip railway line project covering Jajpur, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur districts is likely to miss the March 2019 deadline.
The State Government, in November last year, had directed officials concerned to complete Haridaspur-Paradip railway line by the extended deadline of March 2019. However, with the work getting delayed, officials expect to complete the project by December 2019. The project has been considerably delayed pushing up its cost.

“Almost 75 per cent work has been completed. We have already laid 32-km railway track. Installation of signboards, telecommunication systems and construction of railway level crossings are going on. We have built 31 bridges over rivers, canals and other water bodies and 164 minor bridges for this railway project,” said Haridaspur-Paradip Railway Line Project Managing Director Prasant Kumar Mishra.

He said construction work of some small bridges is being carried out. “All work will be completed by December 2019,” Mishra said. He said the railway line was sanctioned in 1996-97 primarily to cater to the movement of freight, export of finished products of steel plants and imported coking coal from Paradip to industries. “The industries located in Duburi and the iron ore deposits in Keonjhar  district are in proximity to this rail link,” Mishra added.

Former Railway Minister Nitish Kumar had laid the foundation stone of the project near Marshaghai in Kendrapara district on April 4, 1999. The Railway Minister then had promised to complete the construction of the railway line by 2004.

On completion, the distance between Daitari-Banspani iron ore belt and Paradip port will be reduced almost by half. “Due to negligence by the Centre, the project was delayed by more than 20 years,” said Kendrapara Citizens Forum president Amar Biswal.