Kharsia-Parmalkasa Rail Project is a historic step for the development of Chhattisgarh : Vishnu Dev Sai
Team News Riveting
Raipur, April 7
Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw said the Kharsia-Naya Raipur-Parmalkasa Rail Project approved by the Centre is going to change the rail connectivity of Chhattisgarh.
The project will cost Rs 8741 crore and will provide end-to-end coverage to the entire Chhattisgarh. The Kharsia-Parmalkasa 5th-6th rail line is like a new artery of rail network in Chhattisgarh, Vaishnaw said while addressing a press conference at Rail Bhavan on Monday. It will provide rail network facility from the border of Odisha to the border of Maharashtra, he added.
Expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Railway Minister said that this is one of the biggest projects of India. It will connect districts like Raigarh, Janjgir Champa, Bilaspur, Baloda Bazar, Durg and Rajnandgaon of Chhattisgarh. Under this, 21 stations will be built, 48 big bridges as well as 349 minor bridges, 14 flyovers and 184 underpasses will be constructed. 5 rail flyovers will also be constructed so that the residents do not face any problem at the local level.
Vaishnaw said that in the project, 615 km long tracks would be laid in 278 km route. After the construction of the route, more than 8 mail and express trains will be operated. The construction of the rail network will save about 22 crore liters of diesel and the railways will save diesel worth about Rs 2500 crore. The Railway Minister said that the Lakshmi Narayan temple associated with the context of Mata Shabari during Lord Rama’s exile will also be connected to this rail network. Major industrial hubs of cement production like Baloda Bazar and Kharsia will also be connected to this network.
The Railways Minister said that for the convenience of the local people, the railways are now adopting the bypass method. Under this, emphasis is being laid on taking goods trains out of the city. At the same time, passenger trains will be allowed to enter the city. This will be the focus during the construction of this railway line. Also, the areas producing Chhattisgarh’s cultural heritage Kosa Silk will also be connected through the railway line. Due to this, 2 crore man-days of employment will be generated.
The Railway Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chhattisgarh’s railway budget has now increased 22 times to more than Rs 6900 crore. Also, after 2014, there has been an unprecedented pace in the work of railways in Chhattisgarh. Under this, 1,125 km of new tracks have been built, which is more than the entire railway network of Dubai.
He said that the total investment of railways in Chhattisgarh is more than 47 thousand crore. Under this, 32 stations are being rebuilt, and they are being made completely new. The development work of many of these stations will be completed by the end of this year.
Giving information about the important rail projects of the state, the Railway Minister said that the new line from Dallirajhara to Raoghat is about to be completed. Now the work of preparing the DPR of Raoghat to Jagdalpur rail line is almost complete. Similarly, work is also going on at a fast pace on the Gevra-Pendra Road new line. Along with this, the gauge conversion of Rajnandgaon to Nagpur third line, Jharsuguda to Bilaspur fourth line, Raipur-Kendri-Dhamtari to Abhanpur-Rajim line is being done to make it broad gauge. Adequate funds have been given for Rajnandgaon to Dongargarh fourth line, doubling of Jagdalpur to Koraput, Dharamjaigarh to Korba new line, doubling of Anuppur to Ambikapur. Railway Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnav said that Indian Railways is working to fulfill the expectations with which the people of Chhattisgarh have formed the double engine government.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said that ever since the Central Government had come under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, work worth thousands of crores is being done in Chhattisgarh related to railways. Many districts of Chhattisgarh are connected with the new project, it is a matter of good fortune for the state. The government has given crores of rupees of funds for the development of stations, this will change the picture of railways and Chhattisgarh.
Sai thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Railway Minister Ashwani Vaishnav and said that an important gift like Kharsia-Naya Raipur-Paramalkasa Rail Project will give a new impetus to the development of Chhattisgarh. This rail project will connect major districts like Janjgir-Champa, Sakti, Baloda Bazar, Raipur, Durg and Rajnandgaon. This will provide new opportunities to these districts. People will get employment. Baloda Bazar and Janjgir will now emerge as new hubs for industries. This area is rich in limestone. Better rail connectivity will give a boost to cement industries here.
He said that the direct rail line to Naya Raipur will further improve the connectivity of the capital with metros like Mumbai and Kolkata. The project will speed up goods transportation, which will reduce the logistics cost of industries. This will also boost the transport of agricultural products, minerals and construction material. This will give new direction and speed to the development of Naya Raipur.
Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu expressed happiness for this project approved for the state of Chhattisgarh and thanked the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Central Government on behalf of the residents of all Chhattisgarh.
