Prez Murmu lays foundations of three rail projects in Odisha
BANGIRIPOSI: On the final day of her five-day visit to Odisha, President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday laid the foun-dation for three major railway projects in the state.
The foundation for the Bangiriposi-Gorumahisani, Budhamara-Chakulia, and Badampahar-Keonjhar rail projects, to be developed at an estimated cost of Rs 6,200 crore, was laid by the President during a function at Bangiriposi Railway Station in Mayurbhanj district.
President Murmu also laid the foundation stones of several important projects virtually. These pro-jects include a Tribal Research Centre, the upgradation of Dandabos Airport in Rairangpur, and a new building for the Rairangpur Sub-Divisional Hospital.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union minister Jual Oram, local MPs, MLAs, and the General Manager of South Eastern Railway, Anil Kumar Mishra, were present at the event.
The three projects under Odisha’s Rs 10,500 crore railway budget aim to boost connectivity and re-gional development.
In a first for India, the Cuttack Railway Station will come under a national highway through an air-conditioned, state-of-the-art gate constructed on the Shikharpur side of the station to enable direct access to NH-16, so tourists would not have to come inside the city.
The project, developed at a cost of Rs 15 crore, was launched in 2021 and has been inaugurated by Railway Minister Vaishnaw on Saturday.
The new gate provides a host of modern facilities, which in-clude: an air-conditioned waiting lounge with a capacity of 500 passengers; five ticket counters for general travellers and one dedicated counter for persons with disabilities; a lift, a staircase, and two escalators for easy access; toilets, including one specifically designed for persons with disabilities; a Jan Aushadhi Kendra (generic medicine centre); a food court managed by IRCTC; and 20 CCTV cameras to improve security.
The parking area outside the station offers space for 250 four-wheelers, 200 bikes, and 50 auto-rickshaws. A dedicated prepaid auto counter will also cater to passengers.
