Khurda-Bolangir rail link 2010-11budget at Rs 381crore

The first 32 km stretch of the 289-km Khurda Road-Bolangir rail link is expected to be commissioned by the end of the current financial year. This stretch, from Khurda to Begunia, is being built at a cost of Rs 120 crore.

Khurda Road-Bolangir rail link, originally estimated at Rs 700 crore, has suffered a cost escalation due to inordinate delay in land acquisition. The project cost has now gone up to around Rs 1000 crore.

For undertaking work on the second phase of this railway project (32-112 km stretch), an expenditure plan of Rs 381.07 crore was prepared by the East Coast Railway (ECoR) and the same has been submitted to the Railway Board, said the state commerce and transport minister Sanjiv Sahoo.

However, the Railway Board is yet to approve this expenditure plan.

Sources said, land acquisition work has been completed for the first 32 km stretch of this railway line. It may be noted, land acquisition for the project kicked off in 1994-95.

Out of 51 minor poles needed for this stretch, work on 29 poles has been commissioned.

Meanwhile, Rs two crore has been set aside for undertaking the survey work for the doubling of the Talcher-Sambalpur line in the current fiscal.

Similarly, Rs two crore has also been earmarked for carrying out the survey for the doubling of the Delang-Puri railway link.

Land acquisition work is already over for Talcher-Sambalpur and Daitrai-Banspani railway lines while acquisition of land is under way for other rail projects like Talcher-Bimlagarh, Paradeep-Haridaspur, Khurda Road and Lanjigarh Road-Junagarh.