RAILWAY ministerAshwini VaishnawtoldLok Sabhaon Wednesday that a survey for construction of a new line betweenPuriandKonark(33km) has been completed and the cost of the project has been assessed as Rs 725.78 crore.
Vaishnaw said the survey report has been taken up for firming up the requirements and financial viability of the project, including the aspect of cost sharing with the Odisha government.
Though the ECoR had conducted a preliminary engineering and traffic (PET) survey for the proposedPuri-Konarkrailway line via Ramachandi in 2017, the route alignment was objected by the forest department. The rail line was supposed to pass through the Balukhand-Konark wildlife sanctuary located in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ).
On April 28, 2017, chief minister Naveen Patnaik had proposed to bear 50 percent of the project cost of the Puri-Konark new line to boost the tourism potential of the Bhubaneswar-Konark-Puri Golden Triangle.