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Funds Crunch Halts Railway Project

  • Almost 13 years have passed since the foundation stone was laid for the 82-km Haridashpur-Paradip train track in 1999. But it is yet to see the light of the day. Then railways minister, Nitish Kumar, had promised that the project will be completed in 2004.

  • The meagre allotment of Rs 2 crore for the track in the 2012 railway budget has come as a big setback. Funds crunch has been a major impendiment in the progress of the project so far. "The project needs at least Rs 300 crores for completion," said Amar Biswal, president of Kendrapada Citizens' Forum.

  • In 1999, the railways had estimated that Rs 594 crore was required to complete the project. The district units of BJD, CPM, CPI and BJP have criticized the step-motherly attitude of the railway minister for this project. Last year, only Rs 10 crore was allotted for the project. Two years ago, it was Rs 70 crore.

  • Even the land, 1,780 acres, required for construction of the proposed project is yet to be acquired. Out of it, 1,300 acres belongs to private owners. The project will cover Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur and Jajpur districts. "We hope to acquire all land shortly. The government got about Rs 42 crore to acquire land for the project. About Rs 35 crore have been disbursed among villagers whose land was acquired," said Digambar Nayak, the special land acquisition officer of Haridaspur-Paradip railway line project.

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