New Delhi – Former Union Minister and Hamirpur MP Anurag Singh Thakur on Wednesday raised concerns in the Lok Sabha over the prolonged delays in Himachal Pradesh’s railway and infrastructure projects, alleging that the state government is not cooperating with the Centre. Thakur said that several strategically important projects have slowed down because the state government has failed to fulfill its commitments.
In a written response to Parliament, the Railway Ministry stated that the Himachal Pradesh government’s lack of timely cooperation and failure to meet assurances have stalled progress on multiple railway works. The ministry said that the Bhanupalli–Bilaspur–Beri railway line—approved under a cost-sharing arrangement—has already seen an expenditure of ₹5,252 crore, but the state’s pending share of ₹1,843 crore has held up the remaining construction work.
According to the ministry, land acquisition delays have also become a major hurdle. Of the required 124.02 hectares for ongoing projects, only 82 hectares have been acquired so far. The ministry reported that three new line projects covering a total of 214 kilometers—approved at a cost of ₹17,622 crore—are currently under construction. Out of this, 64 kilometers have been commissioned, and ₹8,280 crore has already been spent.
Thakur urged the Centre to ensure the immediate release of the state’s outstanding financial share and asked the Himachal Pradesh government to hand over the remaining land parcels without further delay. He also called for an expedited mechanism for legal approvals to prevent further bottlenecks.
To streamline coordination, he proposed the creation of a joint monitoring cell comprising representatives from the central government, the state government, and the Railways, saying that such a system would help track progress and address issues in real time.
