Land acquisition hurdles have derailed the much-anticipated Mohali-Rajpura rail link project, reports The Tribune India. Minister of State for Railways, Ravneet Singh Bittu, confirmed that landowners have refused to part with their land despite generous compensation offers. Political challenges have exacerbated the issue, further complicating the project’s progress.
The proposed rail link aimed to reduce the travel distance between Mohali and Rajpura by 55 km and extend the route to Chandigarh. The detailed project report (DPR) for this rail link, prepared in 2016-17, estimated the cost at Rs 312.53 crore. The ministry requested cost-sharing and free land provision from the Punjab Government, but the state recently communicated its inability to procure the necessary land.
Bittu also criticized the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) for the blockade at the Shambhu border, which has forced commuters to take longer, more expensive routes. Despite these challenges, Bittu welcomed the Rs 5,147 crore allocation for the railway network in Punjab in the 2024-25 Budget, a significant increase from the Rs 225 crore allocated in the previous UPA railway budget, as announced by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
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