On Wednesday, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari announced the opening of a number of highway and port projects totaling 6,000 crore in Odisha. He also promised that another 2.5 lakh crore would be invested to improve the state’s infrastructure, but the state must cooperate by moving the land acquisition process along quickly.

In-depth details on Projects worth $6 billion are unveiled by Nitin Gadkari in Odisha

At Kamakhyanagar in the Odisha district of Dhenkanal, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shipping, and Water Resources laid the groundwork for three national highway projects totaling 2,345 crore. The Talcher-Kamakhyanagar part of NH 200/23, the Kamakhyanagar-Duburi section of NH 200, and the Duburi-Chandikhole stretch of NH 200 are among the projects that would be four-laned, according to the officials.

At a ceremony in Paradip, in the Jagatsinghpur district, he also laid the groundwork for six further projects totaling 3,206 crore and inaugurated one port project worth 431 crore.

According to Mr. Gadkari, the length of national roads in Odisha has increased significantly over the previous four years, from 4,632 km in 2014 to 9,426 km in 2018. The Centre is now investing close to 1 lakh crore in the construction of national highways in the state.

In order to help Odisha fulfil its full potential as a mineral-rich state, he claimed that the federal government is improving the state’s transportation infrastructure across all sectors, including national highways, waterways, and seaways.

He stated that in the near future, investments of 2.5 lakh crore would be undertaken to further improve the state’s transport industry.

Speaking about infrastructure projects that are stalled because of problems with land acquisition, forestry, and environmental clearances, such as the coastal highway and second bridge across the Brahmani River in Rourkela, among others, the federal minister suggested that the government of Odisha work with it to resolve these problems.

According to the union minister, Odisha has completed NH projects totaling more than 6,000 crore. Sambalpur-Bargarh, Panikoili-Remuili, and Bhubaneswar-Puri NHs have been four-laned; Bhubaneswar-Chandikhol NH has been six-laned; a four-lane national highway has been built up to Jharsuguda town; and bridges on NHs 57 and 59 have been built and strengthened, among other routes.

According to him, a number of additional projects totaling more than 4,500 crore are expected to be finished this year. He also mentioned that Bharatmala is planning to build 1,645 km of NH costing 30,000 crore, including 93 km of ring roads around important cities, and that full project papers for these projects are now being created.

A 262 km long waterway connecting the Mahanadi and Brahmani rivers will be built from Kalinganagar to Dhamra via Paradip at a cost of 5,000 crore, according to Mr. Gadkari.

This waterway, which is hailed as a game-changer for the state, is anticipated to transport over 200 lakh tonnes of goods annually. According to officials, it will improve Odisha’s coal, iron, and steel sectors and generate a tonne of job prospects for the local community.

The union minister claimed that 34 Sagarmala projects totaling 20,000 crore have been identified for Odisha in relation to port-led industrialization.

According to the union minister, Paradip Port’s capacity and effectiveness are constantly increasing and would help the state grow.

A multipurpose dock designed for handling clean cargo was one among the improvements Mr Gadkari announced in the Paradip port to diversify its freight profile. Its estimated cost is 430.78 crore, and its capacity is 5 Million Metric Tonne Per Annum (MMTPA), according to officials.

Additionally, the mechanised coal handling plant at the port started using a dust suppression system that was constructed at a cost of 17.5 crore rupees.

The first stone was set for a number of projects, including the mechanisation of docks to increase their capacity to 30 MMTPA. At a cost of 1,437.76 crore, this project would enable cargo handling of thermal coal exports through closed conveyor system in an environmentally benign manner.

Additionally, a new coal berth would be constructed at the Paradip Port on a build-operate-transfer basis for the estimated price of 655.56 crore.

For the transportation of thermal coal received using BOXN waggons from the iron ore handling plant to the mechanised coal handling plant stockyard, a project of 66.4 crore will be undertaken, according to Gadkari.

The other projects at the port include the construction of a container scanner, which would cost 40 crore, and a second exit from PPT with a flyover, which will cost 94 crore and reduce traffic inside the city and increase connectivity.

Officials said Paradip also saw the opening of a multi-modal logistics complex being built on 100 acres for an estimated 200 crore.

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