BHUBANESWAR: As many as 13 new railway projects, some of which conceived more than a decade ago, in the State are yet to be completed due to delay in land acquisition and statutory approvals. The pending projects are doubling of Banspani-Jakhpura, Koraput-Singapur, Kottavalasa-Koraput and Sambalpur-Titlagarh railway lines, third Rourkela-Jharsuguda railway line, third and fourth railway line of Jharapada-Budhapanka with flyover at Talcher Road, third railway line of Bhadrak-Nergundi and third and fourth railway line of Budhapank-Salegaon.
This apart, some of the new railway lines including those of Khurda-Balangir, Talcher-Bimlagarh and Angul-Sukinda are facing a similar fate. Banspani-Jakhpura railway line’s doubling work, taken up at a cost of `1,142 crore, has been stuck with Keonjhar district administration yet to hand over 1,921 acres of private land. Similarly, Rourkela-Jharsuguda third railway line, estimated at `1,150 crore, has been delayed as major portion of railway land has been encroached upon. In case of Koraput-Singapur doubling line, requisition of land of which is in the final stage and is estimated at `2,362 crore, Railways is yet to file the proposal for forest diversion. The owners of land for the `1,000-crore Bhadrak-Nergundi third line have not yet received their due compensation though forest clearance is expected by month end. Moreover, commissioning of the 43-km stretch of Talcher-Bimlagarh new line is likely to push the project beyond 2022 due to a major tunnel work. Since land has been handed over, Railways is exploring technical measures to expedite the project.
Likewise, delay in land acquisition in Andhra Pradesh has affected the `2,500-crore Kotavalsa-Koraput line and Odisha Government has advised Railways to directly purchase private land in Kalahandi and Rayagada districts for the `2,336 crore Vizianagaram-Sambalpur railway line project. Admitting that some of the projects have been delayed due to land hurdles, a Revenue department official said although advance possession is being given in case of Government land, for railway and national highway projects, the actual completion of land alienation is very slow in many cases.
“The districts, where land acquisition issues have come to the fore, have been directed to expedite the process and hand over both Government and private land to the Railways by end of January next year. In projects like Jarapada-Budhapank, officials have been asked to complete acquisition of private land in the next 12 months,” he said. However, the change of policy by Ministry of Railways mandating EPC (Engineering, procurement and construction) contracts for all railway projects costing more than `100 crore has created impediments in execution at field level, the official added.