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Rail budget disappointing, says Naveen

BHUBANESWAR: With resentments over alleged ‘poor budgetary allocation’ of funds for railway development in the State pouring in from different quarters, the perpetual accusation of the Centre neglecting the State attained a high pitch here on Friday.

Reacting to Railway Budget, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said it was disappointing. “Funds for railway projects have been reduced considerably. While the State was given Rs. 949.34 crore last fiscal, the State got Rs. 715.22 crore this year,” Mr. Patnaik said.

Former Union Minister of State for Steel and Mines Braja Kishore Tripathy said mere extension of some trains or increasing their frequencies was not the solution to under development of a poverty-stricken State like Orissa.

“Even as the State is contributing more revenue than any other State to Indian Railways in the country, the share of railway development always eludes it. While projects like rail coach factory or power plants should have been located in the State that could help generate much employment and prop up growth engine, Union Railway Minister did not consider for providing fund for laying of new railway lines,” Mr. Tripathy said.

Damador Rout, secretary general of the BJD, said Orissa was not expecting much in Union Railway Budget as the Centre once again neglected the State. “The State government had submitted a memorandum seeking Rs. 1,520 crore fund to complete incomplete railway projects and giving access to mineral rich regions. Our demands were overlooked. The Union government lacks mindset to grant developmental projects to the State ,” Mr. Rout said.

Similarly, Bhakta Charan Das, senior Congress leader and Member of Lok Sabha from Kalahandi, admitted that the State’s need for railway development was not properly addressed in the Union Railway Budget.

“Since members representing regional parties are placing railway budget, they lack national perception. Much of the developmental projects are being routed to their regions,” Mr. Das said, adding that the Centre, however, granted a good number of new trains to the State.

According to East Coast Railway, Bhubaneswar and Puri have been named among 50 stations, which were proposed to be developed into world class stations. Moreover, the Union Railway Ministry has proposed to upgrade railway hospitals to medical colleges in 16 cities and Bhubaneswar has been included in the list. Besides, the State has been given new trains between Kamakshya and Puri, Koraput –Rourkela via Rayagada, Puri – Surat and Bhubaneswar – Rourkela. Raipur-Bhubaneswar train has been extended to Puri while Bhubaneswar –Kendujhar Express will run up to Barbil and Paradeep – Bhubaneswar Express up to Puri.

Survey has been sanctioned for doubling of lines of Banspani – Bimlagarh – Barusuan, Bolangir – Nuapada, Digha – Jaleswar, Dantewada – Malkangiri and Sambalpur – Bramhapur. Member of Lok Sabha from Nabrangpur Pradip Majhi welcomed the decision to survey new line between Dantewada-Malkanagiri, which was a highly Maoist-infested region.

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