Bhubaneswar: To fast-track the Bargarh-Nuapada new line project work, the railways issued tenders for construction of bridges on rivers Jeera and Ong and a major portion of the railway line. It also started disbursing compensation to people who have given their land for the project.This important railway project of western Odisha, sanctioned by the ministry of railways in Oct 2024, is being executed at an estimated cost of Rs 2621.92 crore. While many new line projects are getting delayed due to different reasons, this project is being built on a mission mode, official sources of East Coast Railway (ECoR) said.Out of the 138.32 km of the new line project, tenders have been invited to start construction work for the first 42 km stretch from Bargarh Road to Badipali. Tenders have been floated for construction of two important bridges over rivers Jeera and Ong in Bargarh district, ECoR official sources said.Significant progress has been achieved in land acquisition processes. Gazette notification has been published to acquire land in all 85 villages falling under the project area, including 79 villages in Bargarh district and six villages in Nuapada district. Further, final land acquisition notification for 18 villages covering the first three block sections has already been published, and valuation of land, trees and structures is currently underway, ECoR sources said.Applications for alienation of govt land pertaining to the first five block sections have also been submitted to the concerned tehsildars. With respect to forest land diversion, DGPS survey for HAL category land has been completed, while efforts are underway for completion of surveys for Sabik category plots after retrieval of records from district record rooms.The project is expected to significantly enhance rail connectivity in western Odisha, particularly benefiting the districts of Bargarh and Nuapada. The alignment comprises 12 block sections covering major locations, including Sarsara, Dumerpali, Bijepur Road, Padampur, Paikmal and Bartunda, before connecting to Nuapada Road.“East Coast Railway is closely coordinating with the state govt authorities for expeditious resolution of pending land acquisition and forest clearance matters to ensure timely execution of the project. Once completed, the Bargarh Road-Nuapada Road new line project will provide a major boost to connectivity in western Odisha and open new avenues for trade, commerce, agriculture and passenger transportation in the region,” an official statement from ECoR said.
