BHUBANESWAR: The Adani Group-operated Dhamra Port Company Ltd (DPCL) in Odisha will soon get the status of ‘Non-Government Railways’, the second such private company in the country.
DPCL, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Adani Ports and Special Economic Limited (APSEZ), signed a commercial agreement with the Ministry of Railways at its East Coast Railway Headquarters yesterday, a DPCL release said.
The agreement accords the status of Non-Government Railways (NGR) to DPCL under the Indian Railway Act, 1989.
This was the first of its kind NGR status granted in the state of Odisha and only the second one in India.
Non-Government Railway Policy promulgated by the Centre is a recent concept by which Indian Railways encourage its strategic partners like ports and industries to invest in creating additional railway infrastructure and as a result, connectivity to hinterland can be extended to major Railway network.
Since Railway connectivity is crucial to economic development, the Centre came forward with an ambitious plan under ‘Participatory Policy for Capacity Augmentation and Increasing Rail connectivity’ in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode, the release said.
DPCL, with help from the Odisha government, opted for the scheme and constructed 62.5 km of railway tracks, which was the longest ever Non-Government Railway System constructed by any private organisation, it said.
After acquisition by APSEZ, Dhamra Port was expecting to increase its capacity to more than 100 MMT per annum within a few years, by doubling the railway line and completing its second phase of expansion, the release said.
Through this initiative, Dhamra Port shall be able to connect the major portion of Bhadrak district with the National Railway Network, it said.
