Chattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said on July 18 that his state will witness the launch of work for four major railway projects after meeting Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in New Delhi. The rail networks will also benefit the state of Jharkhand, which is governed by the INDIA alliance.
The CM said that he had urged the union minister to commence work as soon as possible on the four major railway projects in the state: the Dharamjaigarh-Pathalgaon-Lohardaga, Ambikapur-Barwadih, Kharsia-Naya Raipur-Parmalaksa, and Rowgshat-Jagdalpur new rail line projects.
Sai stated that while Chhattisgarh’s rail coverage is limited, a significant discussion with the union minister has led to the imminent implementation of new railway projects. The Dharamjaigarh-Pathalgaon-Lohardaga project, spanning 240 km, will improve connectivity between north Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, connecting towns such as Pathalgaon, Kunkuri, Jashpur Nagar, and Gumla, among others.
He said work on the Korba-Dharamjaigarh project is in progress. The project aims to establish a connection between the industrial Korba region and Lohardaga and boost the region’s connectivity to central India via Korba and Ranchi in the east. The estimated cost of the project is about Rs 16,000 crore.
The demand for the Ambikapur-Barwadih project has been pending for a long time. Rail connectivity here will help connect North Chhattisgarh with Barwadih in Jharkhand. The construction of this line will provide an alternate route to transport coal and other minerals to the northern and eastern parts of the country.
This project, which has an approximate cost of Rs 9,000 crore, is significant because it will provide an alternate route from the eastern region to the western part of the country via Chhattisgarh and thus help better integrate the local economy with the rest of the country, according to an official government statement. The project’s length is 200 km.
The Kharsia-New Raipur-Parmalkasa proposed project covers a 277-km stretch and will provide an alternative route for the supply of coal from SECL coalfields to the western parts of the country. It will serve as a bypass to Bilaspur and Raipur stations and connect the cement-rich region of Baloda Bazar. This project will also connect Shivrinarayan, a pilgrimage town, at a cost of approximately Rs 8,000 crore.
For the Rowghat-Jagdalpur project, Railways is already constructing the 95-kilometer new Dallirajhara-Rowghat railway line. Extending this line to Jagdalpur is crucial for the economic and social growth of Bastar’s predominantly tribal division.
The new line will improve the transportation of iron ores from the mineral-rich Bastar region to the state’s steel industries. It will also promote economic and social development in the tribal areas of Kondagaon and Narayanpur. The project’s cost is Rs 3500 crore.
