‘Land acquisition for rail line to be completed soon’

The state government will complete the land acquisition process for the khurda roadbalangir railway line within a week. Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra said on Saturday that the government has handed over land in 98 out of 99 villages for the work. The remaining land will be handed over within the next seven days. Mahapatra added that except for an ecosensitive zone in Boudh district most of the land acquisition process for the project is over around 40 km of the rail line passes through a dense forest in Boudh around 20 km out of that lies in an ecosensitive zone as it crosses near a sanctuary. Due to the ecosensitive zone getting permission for forest diversion is difficult in June. The Supreme Court while hearing a case had directed that a 1km area around every protected forest national park or wildlife sanctuary be declared as an ecosensitive zone where no mining construction and other projects will be allowed. Mahapatra said the state government has written a letter to the center on the issue and officials said after getting stage-in permission for the 40 km stretch in Boudh the railways can start construction.