A review meeting was held at Lok Seva Bhawan under the chairmanship of Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management, Dr. Arvind Padhi, regarding the construction of the 440.16 km long fourth railway line connecting Odisha and Andhra Pradesh between the important Haridaspur Junction-Nirgundi Junction and Cuttack Junction-Vijayanagaram Junction. The meeting discussed in detail the land acquisition and other revenue related issues of the project and the Revenue Secretary, Dr. Padhi, directed to ensure rehabilitation and resettlement by prioritizing the interests of the affected people.
The project, proposed at a cost of about Rs. 7,683.79 crore, will be implemented under the East Coast Railway. It will help in increasing the capacity of railways on the country’s busiest Howrah-Chennai railway corridor, facilitating freight transport and ensuring punctuality of passenger trains.
The project will provide a huge benefit to the mining and industrial sectors of Odisha. Transportation of important minerals and industrial products like coal, iron ore, bauxite, steel and aluminium will be facilitated. It will also strengthen connectivity with Dhamra, Paradip and Gopalpur ports and give a new impetus to the industrialisation and economic development of the state.
A total of 102.644 hectares of land is required to be acquired in Jajpur, Khurda and Ganjam districts under Odisha. Out of which 44.576 hectares will be acquired in Khurda district and 55.462 hectares in Ganjam district. About 452 houses are likely to be affected by the project in the state, out of which 136 in Khurda and 316 in Ganjam.
The meeting focused on expediting the land acquisition case, compensation determination, forest land approval process and rehabilitation work as per government guidelines. Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Dr. Padhi, directed to maintain close coordination between the District Administration, Revenue and Disaster Management Department and the Forest and Environment Department for smooth transfer of land while safeguarding the interests of the affected families.
It was expressed in the meeting that once this project is completed, it will increase the railway traffic capacity and will have a significant contribution to the industry, trade, tourism and employment generation of the state.
