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Railways seeks free land for linking Konark

— Photo: Ashoke Chakrabarty

Chairman of Railway Board K.C. Jena abroad Garib Rath at Puri railway station before its departure on Sunday.

Puri: Virtually putting the onus on the Orissa government for linking world famous Konark in the rail network, the Railways on Sunday said it would make budgetary provision for this in the next fiscal if the state provides land free of cost. “If the Orissa government provides required land free to lay the rail track from Puri to Konark, the Railways will make the required budgetary provision in the coming fiscal,” Railway Board Chairman Kalyan Coomar Jena said here.

The Sun Temple at Konark, the world heritage site in eastern India, is located 35 km from this beach resort.

Though the doubling of the line between Khurda Road and Puri was not commercially feasible, it had been carried out up to Delang so far in view of political pressure, Mr. Jena said.

Stating that the Railways had strengthened the security system due to terrorist attacks, Jena said close circuit cameras would be installed in railway stations at Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Berhampur and Khurda Road.

Mr. Jena also attributed the delay in laying of new railway lines in the State to inordinate delay in obtaining permission for use of forest land.

Earlier, Mr. Jena flagged off the Puri-Howrah Gareeb Rath Express and the Puri-Keonjhargarh Inter-City Express here. “This has fulfilled one of the long-standing demands of the people of Orissa,” Mr. Jena said, adding a new train would start running between Puri and Rameswaram soon.

Mr. Jena also laid foundation stone for upgradation of the railway station here at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore and inaugurated a Rs 55-lakh kalyan mandap. PTI

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