Why in the news ?

• The government approved several railway projects, including a 130 km long Jeypore­Malkangiri project and another 425 km­long Jhansi­-Manikpur and Bhimsen-­Khairar line doubling-cum-­electrification projects .

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• The Malkangiri at present has no rail connectivity. The new line will provide infrastructure support for overall development and help combat left wing extremism.
• The Jeypore-­Malkangiri new line project with cost of  Rs 2,676 crore likely to be completed by 2021-­22 will cover the left wing extremism (LWE) affected districts of Koraput and Malkangiri of Odisha.
• The Jhansi-­Manikpur and Bhimsen-­Khairar projects with cost of  Rs 4,956 crore are likely to be completed by 2022-­23
• The projects will cover the districts of Jhansi, Mahoba, Banda, Chitrakut Dham in Uttar Pradesh and Chhatarpur in Madhya Pradesh.
• Bhatni­-Aurnihar line (116.95 km long) doubling­-cum­-electrification at a cost of Rs 1,300.9 crore, likely to be completed by 2021-­22, it will cover the districts of Deoria, Ballia, Mau and Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh.
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)  also approved the construction of 4.5 km­long two-­lane bi­directional  Silkyara Bend-­Barkot Tunnel as part of ‘Chardham Mahamarg Pariyojana’.

‘Chardham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojna’

• The Chardham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojna aims at improving the connectivity to the Char Dham pilgrimage centres in the Himalayas, making journey to these centres safer, faster and more convenient.
• The Chardham project includes developing 900 km of national  highways in Uttarakhand at a total cost of Rs. 12000 crores.
• Work for 17 projects worth Rs 3000 crores have already been sanctioned and tendered.
• The entire length of the highways will be two-laned with paved shoulder and with a minimum width of 10 metres. 
• There will be tunnels, bypasses, bridges, subways and viaducts to prevent traffic bottlenecks.   
• Wayside amenities and public facilities will be constructed all along the Chardham route, including parking spaces and helipad for emergency evacuation.

Source

·         The Hindu, PIB.