Rail budget hugely disappointing for Orissa: Naveen

Bhubaneswar, Feb 25 (PTI) Terming Mamata Banerjee''sRail Budget as "hugely disappointing," Orissa chief ministerNaveen Patnaik today said that the allocation for the statewas grossly inadequate.

"None of our requests for new lines, new surveys andcapacity expansion has been considered which is hugelydisappointing," Patnaik told reporters in his reaction on theRailway Budget-2011-12.

While the ministry of Railways was requested to allotRs 2085 crore for various ongoing projects in the state, onlyRs 1168.02 crore had been allotted in this Budget, Patnaikpointed out.

Though the state was requiring the support of a robustrail infrastructure as need for industries, Patnaik said:"poor allotment for the existing projects and non-sanction ofnew projects will only accenture the infrastructure deficit inthe state.

While the state government had requested forintroduction of 16 new trains only six new trains have beensanctioned. Even few of the trains announced in the lastrailway budget are yet to be introduced, he said.

"What is most disconcerting is that, money sanctionedfor the ongoing projects in Orissa is getting diverted due tonon-receipt of project specific sanction and poor projectexecution infrastructure," Patnaik said.

The state government''s suggestion to the ministry totreat proposal of rail network and improvement of railwayservice in Maoist-hit areas as National Project," has beenignored by the Railway minister.

"The Rail Budget is disturbingly silent about ourproposal," the chief minister said.

However, the allocation of funds for new lines, gaugeconversion, doubling and electrification for 2011-12 is Rs1168.02 crore against Rs 841.64 crore in 2010-11.

In the Rail Budget, the ministry has proposed toimprove facilities at Puri railway station with participatoryfunding from the ministry of Tourism.

The six new trains which would be introduced in thestate include Visakhapatanam-Koraput Intercity Express (5 daysa week) via Vizianagaram, Puri-Shalimar weekly express, Puri-Gandhidham weekly express via Durg, Digha-Puri weekly express,Jharsuguda-Bhubaneswar tri-weekly Rajyarani Express andSealdah-Puri non-AC Tri weekly Durunto Express.

The ministry has also sanctioned Keonjhar-BhubaneswarFast Passanger and Koraput-Balangir-Sambalpur Fast Express.

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