Bhubaneswar, July 19: Minister of State for Railways V. Somanna on Saturday informed that Odisha is getting 12.5 times higher budget allocation for railway development in the state.
Rs.10,599 crore has been allocated to Odisha in 2025 Budget, a 12.5-fold increase from the Rs.838 crore allocated during the 2009-14 period, he said.
The Minister conducted an extensive inspection of the ongoing redevelopment works at Bhubaneswar railway station today, underscoring Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to transform railway stations across the nation into world-class facilities.
Somanna said that Odisha is getting higher budget allocations in Narendra Modi’s Government for railway development.
59 railway stations are undergoing redevelopment at a cost of Rs.2,379 crores in the state. Railway projects over Rs.80,000 crores are being executed under various sanctioned works at present in the state. In the last one year itself funds more than Rs.25,000 crore have been sanctioned for 8 new railway projects, multitracking and flyover works in the state.
He also said that the redevelopment works of Bhubaneswar railway station is being done in ‘Amrit Bharat Station Scheme’ and the work is going on at a very good pace. The station development work includes elevated approach road and for segregation of inward and outward movement.
Parmeshwar Funkwal, General Manager, East Coast Railway and other senior officials accompanied the Minister during the inspection.
The redeveloped Bhubaneswar railway station will have amenities like improvement of station access, circulating areas, waiting halls, toilets, lift/escalators, cleanliness, kiosks for local products through schemes like ‘One Station One Product’, better passenger information systems, amenities for Divyangjans, sustainable and environment friendly solutions, executive lounges, nominated spaces for commercial development, landscaping etc.
