Chandigarh-Baddi rail line:Panchkula MC proposes to transfer land in Kalka, Pinjore

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, December 12

The Panchkula Municipal Corporation has proposed to transfer MC land in Kalka and Pinjore for the Chandigarh-Baddi railway line. The agenda in this regard is coming up in the MC House meeting, scheduled to be held on December 14.

MC Commissioner Rajesh Jogpal said the MC land in Kalka and Pinjore was coming under the railway line project. Now, the MC has to transfer that portion of land for the project.

The agenda is coming up in the MC House meeting for the final decision.

The Haryana Government has already started the process of land acquisition for the Chandigarh-Baddi railway line. Approximately 30 hectares of land of 1,905 farmers of 23 villages has to be acquired for the project.

From Surajpur in Haryana to Baddi in Himachal Pradesh, a track of 28 km will be laid. The Chandigarh-Baddi railway line is 33.2-km-long. Haryana has to provide 50 per cent land for the project.

The rail connectivity would benefit more than 4,000 industrialists of Baddi and would also solve the problem of traffic congestion on the Pinjore-Baddi road. More than 500 containers go out of Baddi every month by road.

The cost of this project has already been pegged at Rs 1,540 crore, which would be shared equally by all three stakeholders - Railways, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. Of the total amount, a sum of Rs 516 crore was required for land acquisition.

Depts have 22 hectares

For the railway line in Haryana, there is a requirement of around 52 hectares of land. Out of the 52 hectares, there is an availability of 22 hectares of land, which is of government departments such as HUDA, Panchayat Department, Municipal Corporation, etc. For the remaining 30 hectares of land, the Haryana Government has already formed a committee of officials. These officials have started holding discussions with farmers whose land will be acquired for the project. The committee will negotiate the rates with the farmers. After finalising rates, the land will be transferred in the name of the Railways.