Govt. denies neglect of Orissa in railway projects

New Delhi, May 19 : Denying that Orissa had all along been a victim of callous neglect in terms of rail infrastructure development, the government today said adequate allotment of funds had been made for the state during the current budget along with introduction of new trains.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Railways R Velu said Orissa was poised to enter into an era of industrial resurgence and needed development of adequate railway network.

About the measures, Mr Velu said the outlay for projects in Orissa had been increased to Rs 663 crore during 2006-07 while Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) had been implementing a number of projects on a fast track basis.

He said five new trains -- Howrah-Puri Express, Bhubaneswar-Pondicherry Express, Bhubaneswar-Baripada Express, Howrah-Mumbai Express and Tatanagar-Yesvantpur Express -- were announced in this year's Railway Budget.

In addition, the run of six trains had been extended and frequency of two other trains increased.

Earlier, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad informed the House that the government had invited Expression of Interest for the 82-km-long Haridaspur-Paradip broad gauge rail link in the state.

A total of six offers had been received, he said, adding that these were being examined by RVNL.

Mr Prasad said a number of initiatives had been taken for expediting the progress of ongoing rail projects in Orissa.

RVNL has been entrusted with projects for three new lines, doubling of four lines and two electrification works for fast track execution within a timeframe of 3-4 years.

UNI