Rs 7,010 crore allotted to ECoR in interim Union Budget

Allotment of funds to the tune of Rs 7,010 crore has been made in the interim Union budget for East Coast Railway (ECoR), which is 13 per cent more than last year's provision.

Stating this, ECoR in a statement said this includes all budgetary heads including projects, electrifications, passenger amenities, workshops, track and staff amenities in its jurisdiction, which covers most parts of Odisha.

Allotment for new lines this year has been pegged at Rs 2,630 crore which is 67 per cent more than the last year's provision, it said.

A new 14.5 km line has been sanctioned between Talcher and Angul with an estimated project cost of Rs 278 crore, it said adding that the allotment for passenger amenities is to the tune of Rs 181 crore, up from Rs 82 crore provided last year, an increase of 119 per cent.

At least six other new railway line projects find place in the interim Union budget. These include 98.7 km-long Angul-Sukinda Road with a budget grant of Rs 250 crore, Haridaspur-Paradip (82 km) with Rs 400 crore and Khurda Road- Balangir (289 km) with Rs 350 crore.

Similarly, 154 km Talcher-Bimalagarh line has been allotted an amount of Rs 150 crore, while Jeypore-Malkanagiri (127 km) has got Rs 70 crore and Jeypore-Nawarangpur (38 km) granted Rs 10 crore, the ECoR release said.

A total of over Rs 1,685 crore has been allotted for several doubling and third line projects including Sambalpur-Talcher (174.11 km), Sambalpur-Titlagarh (182.11KMs), Bansapani-Daitari-Tomka-Jakhapura (180 KM), Bhadrak-Nergundi-3rdLine (80 km), Vizianagaram-Sambalpur 3rd Line.

The other projects are Jarapada-Budhapank 3rd & 4th Line, Budhapank-Salegaon 3rd & 4th Line, Koraput-Singapur Road, Manoharpur-Bandhamunda 3rd Line, Rourkela-Jharsuguda 3rd Line and Bandhamunda-Rourkela 4th Line, it added.