Big step towards strengthening rail connectivity from Bastar to Sarguja in Chhattisgarh
Raipur, During his stay in New Delhi today, Chief Minister Shri Vishnudeo Sai paid a courtesy call on Union Railway Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw and held a detailed discussion regarding the expansion of railway infrastructure, new railway projects, and the progress of pending railway lines in Chhattisgarh. Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Shri Tokhan Sahu and Member of Parliament from Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha constituency Shri Santosh Pandey were present on the occasion.
In the meeting, Chief Minister Shri Vishnudeo Sai said that Chhattisgarh is one of the most important states in the country from the perspective of industry, minerals, and agriculture. The expansion of the railway network in the state is not just a matter of transportation convenience but is also linked to industrial development, trade, tourism, agricultural marketing, development of tribal areas, and balanced regional progress. He said that Chhattisgarh is also benefiting from the unprecedented expansion of railway infrastructure across the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, and the state government is working in full coordination with the central government in this direction.
The Kotghora-Dongargarh new railway line project was specially discussed in the meeting. It was informed in the meeting that this ambitious railway project of approximately 295 kilometers will be developed through a joint venture between the Ministry of Railways and the Chhattisgarh government. For this, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will be formed in partnership between the two entities. This railway line will pass through Kotghora, Kartala, Mungeli, Kawardha, and Khairagarh to reach Dongargarh, and will connect many such areas for the first time to the railway network where rail facility is not available yet. The Chief Minister said that this project will give new momentum to regional development, encourage industries, and provide better transportation facilities to millions of citizens.
The progress of the Raoghat-Jagdalpur railway line project was also reviewed in the meeting. The Chief Minister said that the necessary land acquisition process for this important railway line of about 140 kilometers has been completed, and the tender process by the railways is in its final stage. He expressed the expectation that the commencement of construction work soon will strengthen the connectivity of the Bastar region and give a new direction to the social and economic development of the area.
Chief Minister Shri Sai requested early approval for three other important railway projects of the state - Sardega-Pathalgaon-Ambikapur (244 km), Dharamjaigarh-Pathalgaon-Lohardaga (301 km), and Ambikapur-Barwadih (200 km). He said that these projects will strengthen the rail connectivity of North Chhattisgarh and border areas, and create new opportunities for trade, tourism, mineral transportation, and local employment. On this, Union Railway Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw assured to take positive steps towards granting early approval to these projects.
During the meeting, the progress of survey work for the Kirandul-Kottagudem (180 km) and Garhchiroli-Bijapur-Kirandul (Bacheli) (490 km) new railway line projects was also discussed. The Chief Minister requested to expedite the survey work and start the further process, so that the connectivity of the Bastar region can be further strengthened and efforts related to development and security can be accelerated.
Chief Minister Shri Vishnudeo Sai expressed his gratitude to Union Railway Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw and said that new chapters of railway development are being written in Chhattisgarh with the cooperation of the central government. He said that new railway projects will play an important role in the industrial development, mineral transportation, easy movement of agricultural produce, promotion of tourism, and overall development of tribal areas of the state. He expressed confidence that with the coordinated efforts of the central and state governments, Chhattisgarh's rail network will become even stronger in the coming years and the development of a developed Chhattisgarh will gain new momentum.