Ministry rejects project report on Karnal-Yamunanagar railway link

Karnal, March 23

Hopes of residents, who were expecting Karnal-Yamunanagar railway lines, have been dashed as the detailed project report (DPR) of the 64-km-long project to connect two districts was not approved by the Railways Ministry.

“The survey of Karnal-Yamunanagar new line was carried out in 2015-16, but after the survey, the project was found to be financially unviable and it could not be taken forward. Thereafter, this project was taken up for development by Haryana Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (HRIDC), a joint venture company of the Government of Haryana and Ministry of Railways. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) was submitted for seeking in-principle approval (IPA) for pre-investment activity from the Railways. The IPA was not granted as the project was not operationally justified and financially unviable,” said the Railways Ministry in a reply to the question raised by Karnal MP Sanjay Bhatia in Parliament, a copy of which is with The Tribune.

However, Bhatia is still hopeful. “We will submit a fresh DPR and the project will be approvevd,” he said while talking to The Tribune.

Residents are upset after this rejection of the DPR and said it was a long-pending demand of the residents who have been waiting for it since 1998. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had also kept a provision of laying railway lines between two districts in his budget speech on February 28. The state government had even sanctioned a sum of Rs 883.78 crore in July 2021. Its DPR was also submitted.

“During the Parliament session, the Railways Ministry rejected the DPR of the project and referred it to be financially unviable. This railway lines will not only connect two major districts of the state, but will help in access to market for agricultural produce, plywood, timber, industrial products, metal industry, fertiliser and others,” said Anshul Narang, a social activist who keeps on raising the issues pertaining to railways.

Project was first announced in 1998

This project was first announced on May 29, 1998, when the then government said railway lines of 128-km between Yamunanagar and Kaithal districts via Karnal city would be laid. Later, it was announced in February 24, 2010, and February 25, 2011, during railway budgets by different governments, but it never materialised. Only surveys were conducted.