The state government is reluctant to provide funds and acquire land for the construction of the Bilaspur-Beri section of the Bhanupali-Bilaspur-Beri railway line. As this railway line will extend up to Leh, the state will ask the Central Government to declare the proposed Bilaspur-Leh line as a defence project and bear its entire cost of construction, including of the Bilaspur-Beri section. “We will meet the Railway Minister and request him to bear the 100 per cent cost of the Bilaspur-Beri railway line. As it will go up to Leh and is important from the strategic point of view, the Central Government can declare it as a defence railway line and bear its entire cost,” said Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri while addressing mediapersons here today.

As per the agreement, the Central Government was to bear 75 per cent cost of the Bhanupali-Bilaspur-Beri railway line while the state was to provide 25 per cent funds.

Agnihotri explained why the state was unwilling to share the cost of the Bilaspur-Beri line and said that as per the agreement, the project would benefit only one industrialist but involve a lot of expenditure. “We need the railway line built up to Bilaspur. Beyond that up to Beri, it will benefit only one industrialist. And to lay the railway line up to his factory, the state government will have to acquire land at a cost of Rs 1,400 crore and spend Rs 2,000 crore on laying tracks,” he added.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that the project cost had escalated manifold since it was conceived. “At the start, the project cost was Rs 1,047 crore, with Rs 785 crore to be provided by the Central Government and Rs 261 crore by the state. However, the Central Government later said that the state government would have to bear the cost of land acquisition over Rs 70 crore. This escalated the project cost from Rs 1,047 crore to Rs 6,753 crore, and the state’s share went up from Rs 281 crore to Rs 2,583 crore,” he added.

Agnihotri refuted the allegation that the state government was not giving money for the railway project. “The previous BJP government had provided Rs 511 crore for the project while our government gave Rs 336 crore,” he said.

About the Chandigarh-Baddi railway line, Agnihotri said that the Centre and state governments were equally (50 per cent each) sharing the project cost of Rs 1,540 crore. “The previous BJP government had provided Rs 189 crore while our government gave Rs 44.25 crore. In November, we will release another Rs 63 crore for the project. Political adversaries should refrain from spreading rumours,” he added.