Govt must rapidly acquire lands for rail services: Jogi

Raipur, February 04, 2012

Senior Congress legislator and MLA Ajit Jogi on Saturday said that the government should expedite its land acquisition process for extended rail services in the state.

“The projects like new broad gauge rail tracks from Raipur to Kanker via Dhamtari have not yet commenced due to delay in land acquisition process. It is unfortunate that the Centre and Union Railway Ministry have nodded for expansion of rail services in Chhattisgarh, but the government is stalling the projects by not acquiring lands rapidly,” said Jogi.

“Similarly, lands have not been acquired for Dalli Rajhara-Rawghat rail track project and for proposed double rail lines from Salka Road to Khongsara and Khodri to Anuppur,” he said.

“According to Railway Ministry, it could not implement rail projects and other facilities in Raipur, Durg, Kanker, Jagdalpur, Rajnandgaon and Bilaspur because neither the government had acquired lands nor has given other essential approvals,” he added.

“The Railways has sought approval from the state government to start Champa bypass rail track, third rail tracks from Durg to Rajnandgaon and Urkura to Bhatapara, flyover in Bilaspur and new rail track from Mandir Hasaud to Naya Raipur, but the ruling BJP has posed mysterious indifference to such facilities,” he said.

Jogi said Chief Minister Raman Singh’s announcement regarding metro rail project from Raipur to Rajnandgaon was merely a poll plank as the decision regarding rail service is reserved with Railway Ministry.