BHUBANESWAR: The Centre has allocated Rs 6995.5 crore for the development of the rail sector in Odisha, up from Rs 4,373 crore last year. The state had asked for around Rs 7,200 crore.
However, there was some confusion about the funds sanctioned for Odisha in the Union budget for Railways with the state government figures being different from the one shared by the ECoR.
State commerce and transport minister Padmanabh Behere on Thursday said he has official information that Odisha has received Rs 4,500 crore. But it was far lower than the Rs 6995.58 crore figure shared by the ECoR.
“We have official information that Odisha has received Rs 4,500 crore in the Union budget for the development of the railway sector in the state. It is disappointing as we had demanded Rs 7,200 crore this year,” said Behera. He added that Railway minister Piyush Goyal has tweeted that the allocation for Odisha is Rs 5,528 crore for 2021-22, while the ECoR here on Thursday clarified that the funding for Odisha in 2021-22 under all plan heads combined is Rs 6995.58 crore. “Anybody can find this mismatch of information. I do not know how the ECoR came up with a different figure altogether,” he added.
The ECoR has clarified that the budget outlay of Rs 5,528 crore was for the development of infrastructure and safety-related works for Odisha, which do not include many other projects and estimates as they are not significant enough for mention at the ministry-level. But for ECoR and Odisha, these are important development works. That’s why the funding for Odisha in 2021-22 under all plan heads combined is Rs 6995.58 crore, said the ECoR statement.
Congress state president Niranjan Patnaik said Odisha has been neglected in the rail budget this time as well. “The Centre has allocated hefty funds for poll-bound states like West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. The state is also not raising its voice because it has a secret understanding with the Centre,” he added.
However, Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan hailed the allocation as historic.
The Centre has earmarked Rs 1,000.5 crore for one of the oldest and most important projects of the state — the 289km Khurda Road-Balangir new line. The figure is much higher than Rs 520 crore earmarked last year and Rs 350 crore in 2019. This was shared by the East Coast Railway (ECoR) here on Thursday.
Another new rail line project — the Angul-Sukinda Road (98.7km) sanctioned in 1997-98 — has received a budget grant of Rs 400 crore against last year’s Rs 450 crore. Around 65% of the project has been completed and the rest will be ready by the end of this year. It is an important line for the industrial belt.
Another old project — the Haridaspur-Paradip (82km) new line — has received Rs 100 crore this year. The ECoR sources said the new line project has been completed, but the allocation will help in completing some station and its related works. It had received Rs 100 crore last year too.