BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today, May 18, urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to introduce two more Vande Bharat Express trains on Puri-Rourkela and Bhubaneswar-Hyderabad verticals.

The CM made this request to the PM during the launch of Vande Bharat Express train service from Puri to Kolkata, and sought the support and solidarity of the Prime Minister for early rolling out of the same.

The Chief Minister thanked the Prime Minister for starting a number of railway projects in Odisha and added, "I would take this opportunity to request Prime Minister for introduction of a Vande Bharat Express train between Puri and Rourkela connecting Sambalpur and another connecting Bhubaneswar and Hyderabad which will facilitate faster movement of passengers between these important cities, for the benefit of our aspiring people." Patnaik stated that Puri is the first city in India to have a 100% drink from tap facility and that the state government is working to build Puri as a centre of international heritage.

The Chief Minister said that during a recent meeting with the Prime Minister, they spoke into great depth about the potential Shree Jagannath Puri International Airport in Puri.  "We will take into account all of the Prime Minister's recommendations for turning it into a top-notch seaside airport. I'm hoping that with the PM's assistance and support, this airport will be completed in three to four years, and the PM will visit Shreekhetra (Puri) to dedicate the airport.

Patnaik  also asked Modi to approve the new railway connection between Puri and Konark, two of Odisha's most famous wonders. The state government has agreed to cover 50% of the project's land costs and construction costs, making it exceedingly advantageous for the railways, he said.

He added that Odisha has consistently been very aggressive in assisting state railway projects. The state's residents have also voluntarily donated their priceless land for the construction of the railway in the hopes that these projects will open up a wide range of new economic opportunities for them.

To address the needs of the residents of these districts, the chief minister further asked for the early launch of passenger services on the Angul-Sukinda line and the Haridaspur-Paradip line.  He expressed the hope that the dream of a bullet train in India will soon come true and noted that the introduction of the Vande Bharat train is a step in that direction. With your guidance, "I am confident, we should soon have our own bullet trains," he continued. The Chief Minister also thanked the Prime Minister for the fresh initiatives. 

Notably, the Chief Minister Patnaik was there when the Prime Minister used video conference to signal the first Vande Bharat Express Train to depart on the Puri-Howrah route.

In addition, Modi officially broke ground in Odisha on a number of railway projects totaling more than 8,000 crore rupees.

The Prime Minister also dedicated the Sambalpur-Titlagarh doubling line, Angul-Sukinda new line, Rourkela-Jharsuguda & Manoharpur-Bondamunda third lines to the country. He also laid the cornerstones for the redevelopment of Puri and Cuttack stations.

He also started the electrification of all railway lines in Odisha. As a result, there will be less need for imported crude oil and operating and maintenance expenses will be lower.