As many as eight new railway track project are currently under execution in Chhattisgarh, the Central Government has informed.
Overall in the country, Indian Railways have taken up 180 New Line projects in various States which are in various stages of execution.
This includes 18 in Andhra Pradesh, 15 in Assam & Northeast Region, 34 in Bihar, 08 in Chattisgarh, 01 in Delhi, 04 in Gujarat, 07 in Haryana, 04 in Himachal Pradesh, 01 in Jammu & Kashmir, 14 in Jharkhand, 16 in Karnataka, 02 in Kerala, 12 in Maharashtra, 08 in Madhya Pradesh, 10 in Odisha, 06 in Punjab, 10 in Rajasthan, 08 in Tamil Nadu, 09 Telangana, 03 in Uttarakhand, 15 in Uttar Pradesh and 18 in West Bengal. Some of the projects fall in more than one State. Most of the new line projects have been taken up primarily on socio-economic considerations in backward and remote areas for the speedy development of economically backward areas.
The completion of railway projects requires clearances from various departments of State Government and Central Ministries like acquisition of land, statutory clearances like forestry and wild life, shifting of utilities etc.
Notably, the Central Government has offered a budget grant of Rs 2202 crores for laying new railway tracks in the South East Central Railway (SECR) zone during financial year 2018-19.
The project of new railway line with electrification from Katghora- Mungeli-Kawardha-Khairagarh-Dongargarh Corridor (255 km) besides Katghora to Kartala (22 km) will be implemented at a total cost of Rs 4821 crore which is being developed by Chhattisgarh Railway Corporation Limited (CRCL), a Joint Venture Company of Ministry of Railways and Government of Chhattisgarh.
