June 30th 2024.
Over the weekend, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that Odisha will see new railway projects worth Rs 1 lakh crore in the next five years. Speaking at a felicitation ceremony organized by the Odisha BJP, Vaishnaw congratulated the party's 20 MPs and 78 MLAs who were elected in the recent Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in the state.
In his speech, Vaishnaw highlighted the neglect of the railway sector in Odisha by previous governments. However, with a double-engine government in place, he expressed confidence in bridging the gap and setting a new record of development in the next five years. He also mentioned that many railway projects were delayed due to land acquisition issues under the previous BJD government, but now with the BJP government at the state and central level, the pace of these projects will be accelerated.
The Railway Minister also shared some promising statistics, stating that the allocation for Odisha in the railway budget has increased from Rs 800 crore during the UPA government to over Rs 10,000 crore under the Modi government. He also noted that in the past three years, the state has received more than Rs 10,000 crore in the railway sector alone. Vaishnaw also highlighted the construction of a new railway line of 1,826 km in Odisha in the last decade, which is even higher than the total railway network of Sri Lanka.
In addition to railway development, Vaishnaw also announced plans for 315 special trains to run to and from Puri during the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, an increase from 222 trains last year. These special trains will run from 25 districts in Odisha, aiming to provide convenience for pilgrims. The Railway Minister, who is also the IT Minister, also shared plans for an electronic manufacturing cluster and a semiconductor training center in the state.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also spoke at the ceremony, congratulating the newly elected MLAs and MPs. He expressed confidence in the BJP government serving the people of Odisha for the next 50 years. Pradhan also drew a comparison between the CM and Deputy CMs of Odisha and Lord Jagannath and his siblings, stating that they have been given a big responsibility for the development of the state.
Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram advised the BJP MLAs and MPs to prioritize the nation over their party and personal interests. He also commented on the previous BJD government becoming "arrogant" and "worse" like the Congress government, leading to the people electing the BJP government.
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