CM Naveen Patnaik submits demands to Mamata

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday shot off a letter to Railway Minister Mamata Banarjee urging her to provide Orissa its rightful dues in the coming Railway Budget. While the Indian Railways earns more than Rs 5,000 crore per annum from the state, it is really unfortunate that it does not invest adequately for development of the railway infrastructure of the state, Mr Patnaik noted to the Union minister for railways Ms Mamata Banarjee in his letter.

Development of railway infrastructure in the state should be undertaken on a priority basis to boost the ongoing rapid industrialization.

This apart, it would also accelerate the much-needed development of the backward areas in the state, Mr Patnaik observed. He also stressed on timely completion of the ongoing projects. Referring to his missive to the then Union railway minister Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav on 17 January this year, Chief Minister Mr Patnaik pointed out that the state had proposed an investment of Rs 1,520 crore for infrastructural development in the state.

Among other issues, development of railways in KBK region, establishment of a rail coach factory in the backwards area, acceleration of Khurda Road-Bolangir railway line work, doubling of Daitari-Banspani, Talcher-Sambalpur and Haridaspur-Paradip lines, increase in the frequencies of Bhubaneswar-Kurla Lokmanya Tilak Express, Puri-Guwahati Express, Puri-Patna Express and Puri-Ahmedabad Express trains, daily running of Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express and introduction of Puri-Paradip Shatabdi Express figured prominently in the missive to Mr Yadav.

Besides reiterating the old demands, Chief Minister Mr Patnaik has also suggested that survey work be started for a high-speed railway on the Howrah-Bhubaneswar-Vishakapatnam-Vijayawada route. "Immediate steps should be taken to upgrade Bhubaneswar railway station into a world class station," today's missive maintained.