Bhubaneswar: Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik has written a letter to union railway minister Piyush Goyal urging him to introduce passenger train on the newly constructed Haridaspur-Paradip railwayline at the earliest.

The chief minister has requested the union minister to accord the necessary permission so that the passenger train could be introduced preferably in August 2020.

Patnaik has stated in his letter on Tuesday that the 82-km long railway line has been constructed through a special purpose vehicle formed by Odisha government, railway and Paradip Port. He has pointed out that the State government had waived of stamp duty, registration fees and premium on land for the project besides the equity participation in the SPV.

Stating that the railway line will connect Kendrapada district which was not in the map of Indian Railway, the chief minister said that railway connectivity is going to act as key economic multiplier for people of the district. “With your intervention, the same benefit can accure to the people of Kendrapada.”

Patnaik has praised the union minister Goyal stating, “Under your leadership railway projects are getting commissioned faster.”