Cabinet Approves Rs 6,405 Crore Railway Projects Under PM Gati Shakti
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Approved Projects | Two multitracking railway projects worth ₹6,405 crore covering 7 districts across Jharkhand, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. |
| Project 1: Koderma-Barkakana Doubling (133 km) | Passes through Jharkhand's coal belt, improves connectivity between Patna and Ranchi. |
| Project 2: Ballari-Chikjajur Doubling (185 km) | Covers Ballari & Chitradurga (Karnataka) and Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh). |
| Key Benefits | - Increased rail capacity, reduced congestion. <br> - Vital for transporting coal, iron ore, steel, cement, fertilizers, agricultural goods, petroleum products. <br> - Expected additional freight traffic: 49 MTPA. |
| Environmental Gains | - Reduces oil imports by 52 crore litres. <br> - Cuts CO₂ emissions by 264 crore kg (equivalent to 11 crore trees). <br> - Supports India's climate goals and lowers logistics costs. |
| Jharkhand Coal Belt | - Seven districts: Bokaro, Chatra, Dhanbad, Giridih, Hazaribagh, Koderma, Ramgarh. <br> - 40% of India's minerals found here. <br> - Sole producer of cooking coal, uranium, pyrite. <br> - Top producer of coal, mica, kyanite, copper. |
| PM Gati Shakti Plan | - Launched Oct 2021, ₹100 lakh crore initiative. <br> - Uses GIS-based digital planning (BISAG-N). <br> - Aims for faster project completion, multi-modal connectivity, and global competitiveness. |