Rail bugdet: Allocations for Orissa inadequate, says Naveen

Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik said on Friday that the allocation in the Railway Budget for ongoing railway projects in the state was grossly inadequate and completely fell short of the state’s legitimate demand.

“The railway ministry was requested to allot Rs2,085 crore, but was allotted Rs1,168 crore, he said. “None of our requests for new lines, new surveys and capacity expansion has been considered which is hugely disappointing,” Patnaik said.

The special need of industries, he said, in the state required the support of a robust rail infrastructure. Such poor allotment for existing projects and non-sanction of new projects will only accentuate te infrastructure deficit in the state, he added.