Design for Jeypore-Nabarangpur rail line changed

Jeypore: The progress of the proposed Jeypore- Nabarangpur railway line has been delayed again. The design of this much-awaited project has been changed even before land acquisition. Doubts have been raised in various quarters about its progress as the new sketch map is being prepared again.

As a result, completion of project is expected to be delayed with increased cost. Hence at this stage, it is difficult to say when the land acquisition process will be started. Skepticism about the future of the project is growing. As per information, in financial year 2016-17, the project was approved at a cost of Rs 748 crore for the construction of 41.35-km Jeypore - Nabarangpur railway line.

In 2017, the Railway Board approved the DPR; the State government agreed to provide free land for the project. It was decided that half of the project cost would be provided by the government and the rest by the Centre. Accordingly, sketch maps were prepared to determine the manner in which land would be acquired in Nabarangpur district.

According to the old plan, the proposed railway line was scheduled to be near village Daibhata, adjacent to Nabarangpur town. The railway station was scheduled to be set up at Podalguda, near Nabarangpur. Accordingly, after the survey was completed between Daibhata and Nabarangpur, land acquisition work was started following a notification. The process of acquiring the land was almost completed, and the process of transferring it was about to start.

But, the fate of the project changed after Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav visited Nabarangpur district last year. Sources said, some intellectuals appealed to him to change the design. He was told that if the project work was taken up on the designated land people will have to cross railway line at two places to go to hospital.

With that in mind, new plans have been made for the proposed Jeypore - Nabarangpur railway line. According to a new plan, land will be acquired near village Daibhata, Nuagadh, Sindhiguda, Kulughati, Gadbaguda and Keshariguda areas. So, 58 acres at Nuagadh, 25 acres at Sindhiguda, 45 acres at Gadbaguda, 16 acres at Daibhata have been identified for acquisition.

This is the second time the survey has been conducted. There will be a meeting between the landlords and the administration representatives. The process of acquiring land will begin after the government pays compensation to landlords.

Frequent review meetings are still being held between the Land Acquisition Officer, tahsildars of Nandahandi and Nabarangpur besides the railway officers on the amended plan. The longer the work is delayed, the higher will be the project cost. People will be deprived of rail services for as long as the project is not completed.

The project will cover 30 km in Koraput district and about 12 km in Nabarangpur district. Demands have been raised from various quarters to start the railway line work immediately after the survey and land acquisition is over. When contacted Nabarangpur collector Dr Kamal Lochan Mishra said some alignments in the town have been changed due to public demand. The work is going on a war-footing. He said the work would be completed in the stipulated time. "Very soon the denizens of my district will avail rail services."