Naxal-hit Malkangiri to get first rail line

Mukesh Ranjan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 20

The government today approved six Railway projects worth more than Rs 11,500 crore, which include laying of the first-ever rail line, measuring 130 km, in Odisha’s Naxal-affected Malkangiri, which will cost Rs 2,676 crore.

Briefing the media after the decision, which was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said: “The Jeypore-Malkangiri new line project will be completed by 2022 and would cover the districts of Koraput and Malkangiri in the state.”

He said connecting Naxal-affected areas through railways was the government’s priority and the project in hand would help in the development of the area.

Malkangiri and Koraput districts are among the identified left wing extremism (LWE)-affected districts in the country. These areas are also among the 115 aspirational districts identified by the PM for development to help achieve the vision of “New India” by 2022.

The proposed new line will connect Malkangiri, Boipariguda, Tanginiguda, Mathili, Pondripani Road and other major towns to Jeypore station on the existing Kottavalasa-Kirandul line.  “The new line will provide basic infrastructure support for overall development, including industrial development of the area having large socio-economic ramifications,” the Rail Bhawan said in a statement, while adding that it will generate direct employment during construction of about 31.2 lakh man-days.

The CCEA also approved two doubling of lines with electrification projects for Bihar, which included 100.6 km Muzaffarpur-Sagauli and 109.7 km Sagauli-Valmiki Nagar. Each of the two projects will cost Rs 1,347.61 crore, Rs 1,381.49 crore, respectively.