Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said that the 5th and 6th new rail line projects between Kharsia, Naya Raipur and Parmalkasa will transform the entire railway connectivity in Chhattisgarh.

Talking to media in New Delhi, Mr Vaishnaw said the project worth 8,741 crore rupees is included in the top ten projects of railways, which was sanctioned in a cabinet meeting last week. He said this rail project will provide direct connectivity to new areas such as Baloda Bazar and reduce congestion.

The minister said that under the project, 21 new railway stations, 48 bridges and 349 small bridges will be constructed. Mr Vaishnaw said the railway budget for the state has been increased by 22 times from 311 crore rupees during the UPA regime to around seven thousand crore rupees this year.