A host of projects including a second entry and station building with new ticket booking complex were inaugurated at Bhubaneswar station here today with the Centre promising to transform the Odisha capital into a modern city of global standards.
Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain also dedicated to the public a new booking office with reserved and unreserved ticketing system at Sakhigopal station through video conferencing from Bhubaneswar, on this occasion.
Praising the Railways for development of infrastructure in the region, Pradhan sought steps to speed up the projects by continuous review and said the Centre was keen to make Bhubaneswar a modern and international city.
The Centre's vision is to make Odisha the gateway of development in the East and the city will be centre and focus of development in the state, he said.
Both Railways and Odisha Government have to jointly work and solve the problems relating to land acquisition issues which emerged as a major bottleneck for railway projects, the union minister said.
The allocation of funds for railway projects is very high and these funds should be fully utilised for the benefit of infrastructural projects, he said.
Pradhan appreciated the efforts of East Coast Railway (ECoR) in planning 6-metre wide foot over bridges at Bhubaneswar and Bhadrakh and said all efforts should be made to complete the work in 2018.
He said that the civil aviation ministry has submitted a proposal to the state for allotment of land for a second airport in Bhubaneswar.
Stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has plans for expansion of national highways and better air connectivity, Pradhan said expansion of railways in Odisha will be its focal point.
Hailing the performance of East Coast Railways, Gohain said funds for the projects will not be a constraint as the Railway ministry will provide full support for infrastructure development.
Gohain said that the on-going railway projects in the region will be completed as per the target date. He also urged state Government to cooperate with the Railways by providing land so that the ongoing projects are completed at the earliest.
The new station building on platform number six of Bhubaneswar station has been completed at a cost of Rs 1.97 crore having facilities like booking counter cum lobby, second class waiting hall, upper class waiting hall, food plaza, TCI office, toilets for divyang passengers, pay and use toilets and circulating area with barricade, a railway official said.
The new station building at Sakhigopal station has been completed at a cost of Rs 1.55 crore with facilities like booking counter cum lobby, second class waiting hall, toilets for men and women, circulating area and approach road, he added.
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