Lok Sabha Question No. 145 (STARRED), answered on 2023-12-13
Subject: Railway Infrastructure in Kandhamal District
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Achyutananda Samanta

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 145 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.12.2023

## RAILWAY INFRASTRUCTURE IN KANDHAMAL DISTRICT

- *145.  SHRI ACHYUTANANDA SAMANTA:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the  initiatives  undertaken  by  the  Railways  to establish Railway Infrastructure in Kandhamal District;
- (b) the status of the survey proposed  to be conducted/actually conducted in this regard;
- (c) the  measures  that  have  been  taken  by  the  Government  towards ensuring railway connectivity by extending the Khurda-Bolangir railway line by 39 KMs to Puruna Cuttack; and
- (d) the  details  of  the  action  taken  by  the  concerned  officials  in  this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF STARRED QUESTION  NO.  145  BY  SHRI  ACHYUTANANDA  SAMANTA  TO  BE ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  13.12.2023  REGARDING  RAILWAY INFRASTRUCTURE IN KANDHAMAL DISTRICT

(a) to (d):    The Railway projects are sanctioned/executed Zonal Railway wise  and  not  State  /District  wise  as  the  Railways'  projects  may  span across State/District boundaries. As on 01.04.2023, 35 Projects (12 New Lines, 1 Gauge Conversion and 22 Doubling)  of  total  length  4,257  Km,  costing  ₹52,189  crore,  falling fully/partly in Odisha including Kandhamal District are in planning/approval/construction stage. As on 01.04.2023, 64 nos. of survey works (26 New Line & 38 Doubling) have been taken up having total length 3414 km, falling fully/partly in the state  of  Odisha.    Demands  of  Railway  Projects  are  raised  by  State Governments,  Central  Ministries,  Members  of  Parliament,  other  public representatives and Railways' own requirements. They are taken up on the basis of remunerativeness, last mile connectivity, missing links and alternate  routes,  augmentation  of  congested/saturated  lines,  socioeconomic considerations etc. Railway Projects in Odisha are covered under East Coast Railway, South Eastern  Railway  and  South  East  Central  Railway  zones  of  Indian Railway. Rail  connectivity  for Kandhamal District is proposed to be provided by Rairakhol - Gopalpur new line. Rairakhol - Gopalpur new line project is being  developed  by  Odsiha  Rail  Infrastructure  Development  Limited (ORIDL). ORIDL is a company controlled by the Government of Odisha, having 51 % equity ownership in ORIDL. A Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Rairakhol - Gopalpur New Line has been prepared by ORIDL.

Purunacuttack  is  a  proposed  station  in  the  ongoing  Khurda  Road  Bolangir New  Railway Line project (289 Km) and the work of Purunacuttack station has been taken up with all clearances.  Out of 289

Km, 142 Km (Daspalla to Khurda -106 Km and Bolangir to Khambeswarpalli - 36.4 Km) has been commissioned.

Completion  of  Railway  project/s  depends  on  various  factors  like  quick land acquisition by State Government, forest clearance  by  officials  of forest  department,  shifting of  infringing utilities, statutory clearances from  various  authorities,  geological  and  topographical  conditions  of area,  law  and  order  situation  in  the  area  of  project/s  site,  number    of working  months  in  a  year  for  particular  project  site  due  to  climatic conditions etc. and  all  these factors  affect  the  completion  time  of  the project(s), which is finally worked out at the completion stage.

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