Minister of State for Railways and Jal Shakti, V. Somanna, conducted a thorough inspection of the ongoing redevelopment works at Bhubaneswar railway station today under the ‘Amrit Bharat Station Scheme’.
Somanna stated that Odisha is receiving significantly higher budget allocations from Narendra Modi’s government for railway development. The budget for 2025 has allocated ₹10,599 crore to Odisha, which is a 12.5-fold increase compared to the ₹838 crore allocated during the 2009-14 period.
Currently, 59 railway stations in the state are undergoing redevelopment at a cost of ₹2,379 crore. Additionally, railway projects amounting to over ₹80,000 crore are being executed under various sanctioned works in the state.
In the past year alone, funds exceeding ₹25,000 crore have been allocated for eight new railway projects, including multitracking and flyover constructions.
He also mentioned that the redevelopment of Bhubaneswar railway station is progressing well under the ‘Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.’ This development includes the construction of an elevated approach road to separate incoming and outgoing traffic. Shri Parmeshwar Funkwal, General Manager of East Coast Railway, along with other senior officials, accompanied the Minister during the inspection.
The redeveloped Bhubaneswar railway station is set to feature improved access, enhanced circulating areas, waiting halls, toilets, lifts and escalators, cleanliness initiatives, kiosks for local products through schemes like ‘One Station One Product,’ better passenger information systems, amenities for Divyangjans (differently-abled individuals), sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions, executive lounges, designated spaces for commercial development, landscaping, and more.
