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New Delhi, April 4, 2025: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved four railway projects, including Chhattisgarh’s Kharsia – Naya Raipur – Parmalkasa 5th and 6th Line, which will help in providing direct connectivity to Baloda Bazar district.
Kharsia – Naya Raipur – Parmalkasa will provide direct connectivity to new areas such as Baloda Bazar. This will create possibilities for setting up of new industrial units including cement plants in the region, official sources said today.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved four projects of Ministry of Railways with total cost of Rs. 18,658 crore.
The four projects covering 15 Districts in 3 States like Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Maharashtra will increase the existing network of Indian Railways by about 1247 Kms, official sources said today.
The projects include Kharsia – Naya Raipur – Parmalkasa 5th and 6th Line, Sambalpur – Jarapda 3rd and 4th Line, Jharsuguda – Sasan 3rd and 4th Line and Gondia – Balharshah doubling.
With these projects 19 New Stations will be constructed, enhancing connectivity to Two Aspirational Districts (Rajnandgaon and Gadchiroli). Multi-tracking project will enhance connectivity to approximately 3350 villages and about 47.25 lakh population.
These are essential routes for transportation of commodities such as agriculture products, fertilizer, coal, iron ore, steel, cement, limestone etc.
The capacity augmentation works will result in additional freight traffic of magnitude 88.77 MTPA (Million Tons Per Annum). The Railways being environment friendly and energy efficient mode of transportation, will help both in achieving climate goals and minimizing logistics cost of the country, reduce oil import (95 Crore Litres) and lower CO2 emissions (477 Crore Kg) which is equivalent to plantation of 19 Crore trees.
The enhanced line capacity will also improve mobility, providing enhanced efficiency and service reliability for Indian Railways. These multi-tracking proposals will ease operations and reduce congestion, providing the much-required infrastructural development on the busiest sections across Indian Railways.
The projects are in line with Prime Minister Modi’s vision of a New India which will make people of the region “Atmanirbhar” by way of comprehensive development in the area which will enhance their employment/ self-employment opportunities, the sources said.
The projects are result of PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity which have been possible through integrated planning and will provide seamless connectivity for movement of people, goods and services, they added.
