The Centre has allocated Rs 10,536 crore for Odisha’s railway infrastructure development for the 2024-25 fiscal, informed Union Railway Minister Vaishnaw on Sunday.
During the special function organised in Bhubaneswar to felicitate newly elected BJP MPs and MLAs, Vaishnaw said, “Ten years ago, Odisha was getting only Rs 800 crore financial assistance from the Railways. No importance was given to the dream of development in the railway sector in Odisha. However, during the tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, funding for Odisha has been raised. Odisha was given railway assistance of Rs 10,000 crore for the last three years.”
“The Centre has allocated Rs 10,536 crore for Odisha’s railway infrastructure development for the 2024-25 fiscal. Odisha has witnessed a record construction of 1,846 km of railway track. The entire railway network in Sri Lanka is 17,00 km. More railway tracks have been constructed in Odisha in the last 10 years than in Sri Lanka. Work was not progressing during the tenure of the earlier government. After the formation of BJP government in Odisha, the State will witness new record,” the Minister added.
Vaishnaw further informed that Odisha will get new projects worth Rs 1 lakh crore in the next five years.
“As many as 135 special trains will run to and from Puri during the Rath Yatra this year. Special trains will run in 25 districts. Moreover, an electronic manufacturing cluster will be set up and training will be provided for the semiconductor industry in the State. Discussion has already been made with the Chief Minister in this regard,” he added.