BHUBANESWAR, 30 JUNE

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday said new railway projects worth Rs 1 lakh crore will be implemented in Odisha in the next five years. Vaishnaw said this while addressing a felicitation programme organised by Odisha BJP here to felicitate the party's 20 MPs and 78 MLAs elected in recently held Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in the state. The Congress government and then the BJD government have neglected the development of the railway sector in Odisha. So, with the formation of a double-engine government of BJP in Odisha and Centre, now, the gap created during the past years, will be met by creating a new record in these five years, he said.

Though many mega railway projects have been sanctioned, those were delayed due to delay in land acquisition by the previous BJD government, said Vaishnaw, adding, "Now double engine government is formed and the pace of the railway projects will be accelerated." The Union minister said the allocation to Odisha in the railway budget has been enhanced from Rs 800 crore during the UPA government tenure to over Rs 10,000 crore during Modi government. During the past three consecutive years, more than Rs 10,000 crore has been allocated to the state in the railway sector, he said. Vaishnaw further said that a new railway line of 1,826 km was constructed in Odisha during the last 10 years, which is higher than the total railway network of Sri Lanka (1700 km).

He also said that 315 special trains will run to and from Puri during the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath for smooth travel and convenience of the pilgrims. Last year, 222 trains were run during the Rath Yatra. The special trains have been planned from 25 districts of Odisha, he added. Vaishnaw, who is also the IT minister, said that an electronic manufacturing cluster and a semi-conductor training centre will be set up in Odisha. Congratulating the newly elected MLAs and MPs, he expressed confidence that the BJP government will continue to serve the people of Odisha for the next 50 years.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and two deputy chief ministers K V Singh Deo and Pravati Parida are like Lord Jagannath and his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra who have been given a big responsibility for the development of the state. A lot of first-time MLAs and MPs have been elected in this election and the state for the first time has CM and Deputy CMs belonging to the BJP. With this team, a new Odisha will be built which will help in building a 'Viksit Bharat', Pradhan said. Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram advised the BJP MLAs and MPs to have a mindset of 'nation first, party second and self last'. Oram said the BJP has helped the BJD to form a government in the state to end the Congress government. But, they became "arrogant and became worse" like the Congress government. So, people have elected the BJP government, he said.