Odisha to See ₹1 Lakh Crore in New Railway Projects, Says Vaishnaw
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on June 30 that Odisha will receive ₹1 lakh crore worth of new railway projects over the next five years. This announcement came during a felicitation program organized by the Odisha BJP in Bhubaneswar to honor the party’s 20 MPs and 78 MLAs elected in the recent Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, reports PTI.
Vaishnaw criticized previous governments for neglecting Odisha’s railway development, stating, “The Congress government and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government have neglected the development of the railway sector in Odisha. With the formation of a double-engine government of the BJP in Odisha and at the Centre, the gaps created over the past years will be addressed.”
The Minister highlighted that delays in mega railway projects were largely due to land acquisition issues under the previous BJD government. He expressed confidence that the newly formed BJP government would accelerate these projects. The allocation to Odisha in the Railway Budget has seen a significant increase, from ₹800 crore during the UPA government to over ₹10,000 crore under the Modi government.
Over the past three years, Odisha has consistently received more than ₹10,000 crore annually for railway development. Vaishnaw noted that a new railway line of 1,826 km was constructed in Odisha over the last decade, surpassing the total railway network of Sri Lanka. For the upcoming Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, 315 special trains will be operated to facilitate smooth travel for pilgrims, up from 222 trains last year.
In addition to railway development, Vaishnaw, who also serves as the IT Minister, announced plans to establish an electronic manufacturing cluster and a semiconductor training center in Odisha.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan compared the leadership of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Deputy Chief Ministers K. V. Singh Deo and Pravati Parida to the trinity of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra, emphasizing their responsibility for the state’s development. Pradhan expressed confidence that the BJP government will serve Odisha for the next 50 years, aiming to build a “Viksit Bharat” through a “new Odisha.”
Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram urged BJP MLAs and MPs to prioritize the nation above all. Oram recalled the BJP’s past support for the BJD to end Congress rule, criticizing the BJD for becoming arrogant and ineffective, which led to the BJP’s current electoral victory.
These initiatives and leadership changes signal a transformative period for Odisha, with substantial investments and strategic developments poised to drive the state’s progress forward.
