Union Railway Minister Allocates Rs 7470 Crore for Bastar Region in Chhattisgarh, Modi Government Pushes Development

CG News: The pace of development in the Bastar (tribal) region will accelerate.

CG News: The Union Budget has allocated ₹2.93 lakh crore to the railways, of which Chhattisgarh will receive ₹7,470 crore. This has sparked hopes for accelerated rail development in Chhattisgarh. The pace of development in the Bastar (tribal) region is expected to pick up. The DRM of Raipur division, Dayanand, stated that the work on the Raoghat-Jagdalpur rail project is to be undertaken. The Dalli Rajhara - Taroki - Raoghat rail project is progressing rapidly, nearing 90 per cent completion.

CG News: Transport work to commence by April

It is expected that the transport work will be completed and commence by April. Additionally, the Parmalkasa to Kharsia freight corridor section will also gain momentum. The freight corridor will connect West Bengal with Odisha and Chhattisgarh, leading to increased speed in freight transportation in the future. This will foster growth in Chhattisgarh's industries. This information was shared by Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw at a press conference on Monday. Officials also joined the VC online from the DRM office.

Number of passenger trains to double

During the conference, Minister Vaishnaw announced that the number of passenger trains in Chhattisgarh will double in the coming times. All projects will be initiated after the ongoing development work is given its final shape. Currently, rail works worth ₹51,080 crore are in progress in the state, including significant tasks such as new track construction, redevelopment of stations, and safety upgrades.

Focus on Economic Corridors

To boost economic industries, efforts are underway to connect one state with another through the creation of corridors. This includes the development of an East-West Corridor. Furthermore, corridors being built in other states, including Maharashtra and Odisha, will also be linked to Chhattisgarh. A five-year target has been set for all these major projects, while smaller projects have a three-year target.

Eight districts of Chhattisgarh in the Freight Corridor

An East End Sector Corridor is being constructed, which will connect Dankuni to Surat. This corridor will pass through Chhattisgarh and will include approximately eight districts. This will also provide Chhattisgarh with benefits related to port connectivity and exports. Chhattisgarh is being integrated into the freight corridor (a high-capacity, high-speed railway line used exclusively for the transportation of goods, or freight and commodities).

Budget increased 24 times

Chief Minister Sai stated that this is a significant gift from the double-engine government. Chhattisgarh has received ₹7,470 crore for railway development. This budget allocation represents a record increase of approximately 24 times compared to the annual average of ₹311 crore during the period 2009-14. The commencement of the Raoghat-Jagdalpur rail project connecting Bastar to Jagdalpur, along with the Parmalkasa-Kharsia corridor and new freight corridors, has also been approved.

Budget allocated to these states

State Budget | Ongoing Works
UP ₹10,000 crore | ₹1,92,000 crore

Madhya Pradesh ₹15,181 crore | ₹1,18,000 crore
Rajasthan ₹10,228 crore | ₹56,863 crore

Maharashtra ₹24,000 crore | ₹1,70,000 crore
Gujarat ₹17,366 crore | ₹1,28,000 crore

Goa ₹515 crore
Delhi ₹2,711 crore

Jammu ₹1,086 crore
Uttarakhand ₹4,769 crore