Balasore: Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday inaugurated a new passenger line between Gopinathpur and Balasore and flagged off Gopinathpur (Nilagiri)-Balasore new MEMU train service at Gopinathpur Nilagiri station in Balasore district of Odisha. With this, people of the area will be able to avail of passenger train services for the first time. Three pairs of MEMU trains will run on the route daily. Speaking on the occasion, Vaishnaw said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is committed to development of Odisha. “The PM immediately gave the goahead when I informed him about Nilagiri, the first princely state to merge with Odisha after the country’s independence, and the need the connect it by rail. Today, the dream has been fulfilled and Nilagiri has found a place in India’s rail map,” he said, while extorting people to say, ‘Jai Jagannath’ and ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’, aloud.
He further informed that a flyover will be built at Khantapada. “Survey for laying of new railway line between Nilagiri-Betnoti will be conducted,” he adding that work on preparing DPR for Balasore- Chandaneswar rail line has begun. The Rail Minister also spoke about step-motherly attitude of the Centre towards Odisha before 2014 when only Rs 800 crore was allotted for the state. “When Modi became PM in 2014, he gave nod to different projects in the state. Recently, the newly constructed Nuagaon Road-
Daspalla Railway section was inaugurated and passenger train services was flagged off to Daspalla in Nayagarh district. The 40-50-year-old project has been put on fast track. PM Modi has allotted Rs 10,000 core for different projects in the state,” he said. He further stressed that it is PM Modi, who has been providing free rice to 3.25 crore people of Odisha every month under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). The minister is also slated to lay the foundation for the subway and inaugurate a passenger reservation system (PRS) booking counter at Betnoti railway station.
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