Union Ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the extension of the Banaras-Sambalpur-Banaras bi-weekly express to Visakhapatnam at Sambalpur railway station in Odisha on Monday.
The train commenced its journey from Sambalpur to Visakhapatnam as a special service, with regular operations in the extended route set to begin on November 22 from Visakhapatnam and the following day from Banaras.
Addressing the event, Vaishnaw announced the development of Sambalpur Junction railway station into a world-class facility with a budget of Rs 300 crore. He mentioned that the station’s design would be crafted by students from IIM Sambalpur and Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT), Burla.
Odisha’s growth
Union Education Minister Pradhan noted that the Centre had granted Rs 18 lakh crore to Odisha over the last nine years, contrasting it with the Rs 3 lakh crore allocated by the UPA government in its 10-year tenure. He also highlighted the substantial growth in the state’s mining revenue under the current NDA government, reaching Rs 50,000 crore annually from Rs 5,000 crore.
Odisha’s growth during UPA era
Vaishnaw highlighted the significant increase in railway allocation to Odisha during the Modi government, rising from Rs 800 crore to Rs 10,000 crore in the annual railway budget. He emphasised the accelerated pace of railway construction, citing the completion of 450 km of new tracks in the previous year compared to only 50 km during the UPA era.
Special train request for Ram Temple opening
Pradhan requested the Railways minister to arrange a special train from Sambalpur to Ayodhya, considering the opening of the Ram Temple on January 22 next year.