3 days ago
BJP's claim Himachal govt not cooperating with Centre on railway projects baseless: Agnihotri
Himachal deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri, cornering the BJP over the allegations that Himachal government is not co-operating with the Centre on railway projects, said the opposition leaders of the state are making baseless statements about the ongoing railway projects in Himachal Pradesh. Himachal deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri. (File)
He said: 'The state government's viewpoint is clear. We are rising above political differences and working with the central government for the development of the state. The railway projects are extremely important for the economic, social and tourism development of Himachal. These will not only help in connecting the remote areas of the state with other parts of the country but are also important from the national security and strategic point of view.'
Agnihotri stated that for a hilly and special category state like Himachal, rail connectivity is as important as road and air connectivity. He said: 'It is the priority of the state government that the Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Beri rail line, Chandigarh-Baddi rail line and Nangal-Talwara rail line projects are completed on time.'
In these projects, the state government has not only made financial contribution but has also played an active role in land acquisition, administrative approvals and completing other necessary formalities, he said adding that the state government has so far contributed ₹847 crore as the state share for the construction of Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Beri rail line. He further stated that the work on this railway line is in progress and this work is expected to be completed by December 31, 2027.
He said that there was a delay in the implementation of this project, so the project cost reported by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited has increased by 6.45 times to ₹6,753.42 crore. Now the state's share has increased to ₹2,583.01 crore, which includes land acquisition cost of ₹1,210.42 crore. Thus, the state government has to spend 38.84% of the total project cost.
The deputy CM said that the work of Chandigarh-Baddi Rail Line Project is in progress. This project has been declared as a special railway project by the Government of India. The target has been set to complete the work of this railway line by April 30, 2026.
He added that most of the Nangal-Talwara railway line has been completed and it has been opened for traffic from Nangal to Daulatpur Chowk. The entire cost of this project is being borne by the Centre, in which the state government has also played a supporting role.
He urged the opposition to refrain from making statements without confirming the facts and work together in the interest of the state.
