"I strongly protest the step-motherly attitude of the Railways towards Odisha. I request you to take immediate steps to restore the budgetary allocation made for the state for the year 2012-13," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wrote to Railways Minister Mukul Roy.
Stating that the authorities have reduced an amount of Rs 186 crore from the budgetary allocation to different projects in the state, Patnaik said.
Railways has allocated only Rs 723 crore against the state's projected total demand of Rs 2,345 crore for different projects in 2012-13 budget. "Now suddenly again the Railways have announced this reduction which will go against the interest of the state," he said.
Odisha is in the midst of a rapid industrialisation and required different railway projects to facilitate industrial climate in the state, the letter stated..
Reduction in the budgetary allocation would greatly hamper the industrialisation process and hurt the common man in creation of passenger amenities at different railway stations, Patnaik said.
The state government also asked the Railways to commission Khurda Road-Puri section (doubling) before Lord Jagannath's Nabakalebar Festival in 2015. MORE
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