Expressing concern over the "tardy" progress of the proposed Wagon Manufacturing Unit (WMU) at Sitalapalli in Ganjam, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today asked the Centre to make necessary budgetary provision and give top priority to construction of a bye-pass line avoiding Khurda Road junction.
Patnaik made these demands in separate letters to the Railway Minister to Mallikarjun Kharge. He requested the railway minister for speedy approval of the proposal for the construction of a bye-pass line of 1.3 km costing Rs 16.87 crores which has been submitted by East Coast Railway for facilitating mass movement of passengers during Nabakalebar festival of Lord Jagannath to be celebrated during July, 2015.
The chief minister also drew attention of the railway minister for expeditious completion of the Delang-Puri doubling work of Khurda-Puri section well before Nabakalebar.
Patnaik expressed his displeasure over the slow progress of the proposed Wagon Manufacturing Unit (WMU) despite state government's offer of suitable government land free of cost to the extent of 101.604 acres in the said village.
He said no progress has been made also on proposals for setting up of a Wagon Maintenance Workshop in Kalahandi and Skill Development Centre at Koraput though these projects were announced in the Railway Budget 2013-14.
