Ministry junks shorter rail route for Mohali, Rajpura
Shubhadeep Choudhury
New Delhi, July 24
After posing hurdles to major highway projects in Punjab, the land acquisition issue has also scuttled a much-awaited railway project in the state.
Talking to The Tribune today, Ravneet Singh Bittu, Minister of State for Railways, said the Mohali-Rajpura rail link project had been dropped by the ministry due to difficulties in the acquisition of land. If the link had materialised, it would have been extended up to Chandigarh.
Would have cut distance by 55 km
The link, which was a long-standing demand of people of Punjab, would have shortened the distance between Mohali and Rajpura by 55 km compared to the present route between the two locations. The detailed project report (DPR) for the proposed link was prepared in 2016-17 with a cost of Rs 312.53 crore.
Bittu said generous compensations being offered for acquisition of land were being turned down by landowners. If landowners agree to part with their land, then the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) will not let them,” said Bittu.
The link, which was a long-standing demand of people of Punjab, would have shortened the distance between Mohali and Rajpura by 55 km compared to the present route between the two locations. The detailed project report (DPR) for the proposed link was prepared in 2016-17 with a cost of Rs 312.53 crore. The ministry had asked the Punjab Government for its consent to cost-sharing and to providing the land free of cost. “The state government recently informed the ministry that it is unable to procure the land,” said Bittu.
The decision by the Railways came close on the heels of the cancellation of three major highway projects in Punjab by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) due to persistent hurdles in land acquisition. The step also brought to light the challenges faced in the state regarding the execution of infrastructure projects.
Underscoring the landowner’s refusal to part with land despite offering handsome compensations, Bittu said the issue at hand was a political one and had nothing to do with the market value of land in the area. Bittu criticised the SKM for forcing the blockade on the Shambhu border. He said as a result of the blockade, commuters had to take detours and spend more money on fuel.
Bittu welcomed Rs 5,147 crore allocation in the Budget for railway network in Punjab. The fund allocated on account of the Railways for 2024-25 was 23 times the Rs 225 crore allocated to the state in the past railway budget passed by the UPA, said Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw addressing a press conference earlier in the day.
