State Government Bearing Rs. 1,100 Crore for Land Acquisition of Bhanupalli-Bilaspur Rail Line
Shimla – Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi and Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh have refuted the claims made by Union Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu, calling his remarks misleading and factually incorrect. In a joint statement issued today, the ministers asserted that the financial burden of land acquisition for the Bhanupalli-Bilaspur rail line is falling entirely on the Himachal Pradesh government, contrary to Bittu’s assertions.
The ministers highlighted that the initial estimated cost of the rail line was around Rs. 3,000 crore, with the central government committing to provide 75 percent of the funding. The estimated cost of land acquisition at that time stood at Rs. 70 crore. However, they pointed out that the project cost has now more than doubled to over Rs. 7,000 crore, with the land acquisition cost surging to Rs. 1,100 crore. Despite this sharp increase, the Union Government has refused to provide more than Rs. 70 crore for land acquisition, forcing the state government to bear the entire financial responsibility.
Jagat Singh Negi and Vikramaditya Singh emphasized that, since March 2023, the Himachal Pradesh government has contributed nearly Rs. 300 crore to the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) for railway development projects in the state. This, they said, directly contradicts the Union Minister’s claims and shows that the statements made were not based on facts.
The ministers also raised concerns over the Railway Ministry’s failure to upload the latest annual Pink Book, which lists railway construction projects planned for the financial year. They noted that without this official document, verifying the claim that Rs. 11,806 crore has been allocated for Himachal Pradesh is impossible. Further, they clarified that the cited amount is not a special grant but merely a budgetary estimate.
Providing detailed figures, the ministers stated that in 2021-22, only Rs. 325 crore was spent out of the allocated Rs. 1,289 crore for the Bhanupalli-Bilaspur rail line. Similarly, in 2022-23, only Rs. 730 crore was utilized, and in 2023-24, until the Union Budget was presented, Rs. 936 crore was spent from the same allocation. Over the past three years, a total of Rs. 1,991 crore has been spent against a budget of Rs. 3,867 crore, exposing the gaps in Union Minister Bittu’s statements.
The ministers further criticized the portrayal of these budgetary provisions as special favours to Himachal Pradesh, clarifying that these allocations are routine and made for all states. In fact, they pointed out that other states have received significantly higher financial assistance for railway projects, underscoring that Himachal Pradesh has not been given any preferential treatment.
Adding to their criticism, Jagat Singh Negi and Vikramaditya Singh noted that between 2014 and 2024, Himachal Pradesh received much less financial support from the central government compared to Uttarakhand. They stressed that such financial assistance comes under centrally sponsored schemes and is a constitutional right of the people of Himachal Pradesh, not a charitable gesture from the Union Government.
