New Delhi, 15 July (H.S.):

The Central Government on Wednesday approved two multitracking railway projects of the Ministry of Railways worth Rs 3,907 crore in Odisha and Jharkhand. The projects, spanning four districts across the two states, will add nearly 145 kilometres to the railway network and are targeted for completion by 2030-31.

The projects received approval at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Briefing the media at the National Media Centre, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the Cabinet's decisions.

He said the Cabinet has approved the doubling of the Paradip-Haridaspur rail section and the construction of a fourth railway line on the Rajkharsawan-Dangoaposi section. These projects will enhance line capacity, making railway operations more efficient and reliable while easing traffic congestion on the network.

Vaishnaw said the projects have been planned in line with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, with the objective of strengthening multimodal connectivity and improving logistics efficiency to facilitate the seamless movement of people, goods and services.

The projects are expected to provide improved rail connectivity to nearly 1,526 villages across four districts of Odisha and Jharkhand, benefiting an estimated population of around 1.4 million. They are also expected to accelerate regional economic development and generate employment and self-employment opportunities, in line with the Prime Minister's vision of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

According to the Ministry of Railways, the capacity expansion will improve rail access to prominent tourist destinations, including the Lalitgiri Buddhist Complex, Shri Baladev Jew Temple and the Meghahatuburu Hills, thereby giving a boost to tourism in the region.

The government stated that these rail corridors are crucial for the transportation of key minerals and industrial commodities such as coal, iron ore, dolomite, limestone and gypsum. Upon completion, the projects will create an additional freight handling capacity of 44 million tonnes per annum.

The government further said that rail transport is an energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable mode of transportation. The projects are expected to reduce the country's logistics costs, save approximately 60 million litres of imported fuel annually, and cut carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 290 million kilograms, delivering environmental benefits equivalent to planting around 10 million trees.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar