68-km Khurda-Balangir rail line gets forest clearance

Bhubaneswar: The Forest Ministry gave long-awaited clearance for the remaining 68-km Khurda-Balangir railway line between Dasapalla and Purunakatak.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday said tenders for starting the work on this section of the railway track are being issued and those would be finalised soon.

Vaishnaw expressed his thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav for according permission for the long delayed railway project in Odisha.

Of the total 301-km railway line, work on 115 km has been completed. According to the Railway Ministry, the estimated cost of the project has been pegged at Rs 3,791.66 crore. The highest Rs 1,000 crore was sanctioned for the project in the 2021-22 Railway budget.

When completed, the project will connect Balangir, Sonepur, Phulbani, Boudh, Nayagarh and Khurda districts.

Sanctioned in 1994-95, Khurda Road-Balangir railway line project was delayed due to issues such as court cases, forest clearance and land acquisition.