BHUBANESWARA: The Assembly Committee on Railways, headed by Speaker Pradip Amat, has decided to seek enhanced funds for various ongoing projects and expansion of railway network in the State. The committee will meet Railways Minister Dinesh Trivedi in Delhi on December 1. Sources said the panel will also submit a memorandum seeking more than ` 2,000 crore for the early completion of the ongoing projects and launching of new ones. An allocation of ` 1,168.02 crore had been made for Odisha in the last Railway Budget as against its demand of ` 2,085 crore for early completion of the ongoing projects. The major ongoing projects include Khurda Road-Balangir (289 km), Haridaspur-Paradip (82 km), Lanjigarh Road-Junagarh (56 km), Angul-Duburi-Sukinda Road (90 km) and Talcher-Bimlagarh (154 km). No new line was announced for the State last year. Besides, only six express trains were announced against the demand for 16 new express trains. Even though all the major political parties, including the BJD, the BJP and the NCP, alleged that the Centre neglected development of railway infrastructure in the State by providing inadequate funds in the budget, there is no unanimity among them. Besides, trading of charges marked the meeting of the committee here on October 27. While members of the ruling BJD blamed the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre for the poor railway network in the State, the Congress members said the railway projects have been languishing due to inefficiency of the State Government. The Congress members blamed the BJD Government for the poor expenditure on the ongoing rail projects because of tardy progress in land acquisition. Meanwhile, a delegation from the State unit of Samajwadi Party led by president Rabi Behera on Monday met the Speaker and submitted a memorandum containing three-point charter of demands. The memorandum wanted the House committee to lay stress on development of railway infrastructure in Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Nayagarh, Kandhamal, Boudh, Sonepur and Kendrapara districts. As tourism development depends on the expansion of railway network, the memorandum demanded that tourist getaways like Konark, Bhitarkanika and places like Jajpur having religious shrines like Biraja Temple should have rail links. The party demanded renaming the Sambalpur-New Delhi train as Gangadhar Express as this is the 150th birth anniversary year of poet Gangadhar Meher. Besides, the Puri-Hatia Express should be named as Birsa Munda Express, it said.
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