Odisha formulating Railway Master Plan

Odisha Channel Bureau Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal government is in the process of formulating a Railway Master Plan for Odisha, according to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.Mr.Patnaik has talked about the Railway Master Plan in his letter that he sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday seeking sufficient allocation of funds for Odisha in the Railway Budget 2014-15.Patnaik informed Modi in his letter that Odisha continued to be one of the most preferred destinations for investment especially in metal, mining and power sectors.The volume of investments in the State in diverse sectors at different stages is in excess of a staggering Rs.8,85,000 crores, he added.“The Government of Odisha is leveraging this opportunity to plan for orderly, systematic and comprehensive economic growth by focusing upon infrastructure development and creating dedicated industrial corridors.“The nature of industrial activities in the State requires a robust and well planned railway infrastructure for its sustainability.For this purpose we are in the process of formulating a Railway Master Plan for Odisha,” Patnaik said in his letter.Justifying his demand for more funds, Patnaik said “the railway route length and rail density in Odisha is well below national average as also substantially lower than that in neighboring States.“In contrast gross earnings from various stations in the state of Odisha are estimated to be in excess of Rs.14,000 crores during the year 2013-2014.” “I would request you to kindly ensure allocation of a sizeable part of the revenues generated from Odisha within the State itself for strengthening and expanding rail infrastructure,” Patnaik said in his letter to Modi.