Expressing satisfaction over the budget outlay for the state, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said that “due allocations have been made for our ongoing major projects like Khurda-Bolangir, where state government has made a commitment to provide land free of cost and bear 50 per cent of the project cost”.
The state has got Rs.1,254 crore for line doubling and gauge conversion, Rs.261.52 crore for passenger amenities, Rs.98.95 crore for traffic facilities and Rs 49.68 crore for mechanical support. Meanwhile, the East Coast Railway (ECoR) has received Rs.3,112 crore in the budget, 36 percent higher than last year.
In the railway budget weightage has been given to traditionally neglected railway sections like Sambalpur-Titlagarh, Sambalpur Talcher in the state. While the new Angul-Sukinda line has been allocated Rs.75 crore, the Haridaspur-Paradeep new line has received Rs.36 crore. The Bansapani-Jakhapura got the highest allocation of Rs.513 crore, Sambalpur-Titlagarh line doubling got Rs.470 crore followed by the Talcher-Bimalagarh (Rs 280 crore), Raipur-Titlagarh (Rs 241.52 crore) and Khurda Road-Bolangir (Rs.195 crore).
There was no allocation declared for the other new railway link projects like Jeypore-Nabrangpur, Kendujhar-Badamapahar, Puri-Konark and Lanjigarh-Junagarh in the budget.
For traffic facilities and goods sheds in Odisha, the state had demanded an allocation of Rs 200 crore in the Budget. This included Rs 150 crore towards development of goods sheds at Rourkela, Bhadrak, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Bolangir, Titlagarh, Khariar, Kesinga, Rayagada, Jeypore, Korapur, Rairakhol, Angul, Dhenkanal, Nirgundi, Mancheswar, Khurda and Jaganathpur and the rest Rs 50 crore for development of mult modal logistics parks at Kalinga Nagar (Jajpur), Angul, Jharsuguda, Rourkela and Choudwar. However, there is no allocation under this head.