30 yrs on, rail link from Nangal Dam to Talwara hangs fire

Vijay Mohan

Advertisement

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 8

Over three decades after a rail link from Nangal Dam to Talwara in Punjab was sanctioned, the project remains a non-starter with only partial sections of the stretch operational so far.

The project was sanctioned in 1982-83 for socio-economic development of the region, but so far only about 55 per cent of the work had been completed, according to the new audit reports. 

The total distance to be covered is 84 km and is shorter than the 110 km road link and part of the rail link passes through Himachal Pradesh near Una. The state government had then agreed to share the financial burden — cost of land, labour, earthwork and sleepers —for laying the rail track.

The works on Nangal Dam to Amb-Andaura section were completed in October 1989 at a cost of Rs 37.68 crore and the 43.9 km stretch opened to traffic in January 1991. The works relating to the Amb Andaura -Talwara section were not executed during 1991-96 as the Himachal Pradesh government refused to bear the cost of the land.

In September 1996, the HP Government agreed to give land to the railways free of cost following which construction of the second phase from Una in HP to Charuru- Takrala started in 1998. Construction of this stretch was completed in June 2004 at a cost of Rs 66.97 crore and it was opened to traffic in March 2005.

Further progress on the project was affected due to shortage of funds. According to railway sources, the works on the 18 km stretch from Kartoli in Punjab to Talwara has been held up as the Railway Board has had not accorded sanction for Rs 354 crore due to “abnormal increase” in land rates.

Land acquisition was also delayed on the 16-km Amb -Andaura to Daulatpur Chowk section due to non- availability of funds and work is currently in progress with a revised estimate of Rs 343 crore being sent to the board.