Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Beri railway line stuck due to sluggish land transfer

The project, seen as a lifeline for improving connectivity in the hill state, continues to progress at a sluggish pace due to incomplete land acquisition and pending financial commitments from the state.

The 63-kilometre Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Beri rail line requires a total of 124 hectares of land in Himachal Pradesh. However, only 82 hectares have been handed over to the railways so far, restricting construction work to the limited stretches where land transfer has been completed. Large portions of the alignment, particularly between Bilaspur and Beri, remain stuck in procedural and administrative delays, directly affecting the momentum of the project.

The Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted these concerns while replying to a question by Rajya Sabha MP Indu Bala Goswami last month. He stated that non-cooperation from the Himachal Pradesh government, especially in land transfer and financial contribution, has emerged as the primary reason for slow progress in several key railway projects in the state. According to the minister, timely completion of the Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Beri line hinges on the state fulfilling its obligations under the agreed framework.

Under the cost-sharing arrangement, the Centre is bearing 75 per cent of the project cost, while the remaining 25 per cent is to be contributed by the state government. The total sanctioned cost of the project stands at Rs 6,753 crore, including Rs 1,617 crore earmarked for land acquisition alone. Of this amount, Rs 5,252 crore has already been spent.

The state government’s total liability comes to Rs 2,711 crore, but it has so far released only Rs 847 crore. An amount of Rs 1,863 crore remains pending, a shortfall that, according to the Railway Minister, has a direct bearing on construction timelines. He stressed that the Centre remains fully committed to completing the project but cannot move at the desired pace without active participation from the state.

Despite these challenges, railway development continues on other fronts in Himachal Pradesh. The work has commenced on the 52-kilometre Daulatpur Chowk-Kartoli-Talwara rail line to improve regional connectivity. The construction has also begun on the 28-kilometre Chandigarh-Baddi railway line, estimated to cost Rs 1,540 crore, aimed at boosting industrial and commuter movement.

The Lok Sabha member of Kangra-Chamba constituency Dr Rajeev Bhardwaj said that the Union Government has also prepared a detailed project report for the Bilaspur-Leh railway line, identified strategically vital by the Ministry of Defence. Estimated to cost Rs 1.31 lakh crore, the 489-kilometre project — much of it through tunnels — underscores both the engineering challenges and the strategic importance of rail connectivity in the Himalayan region, he said.

He demanded from the state government to provide its share in the dream railway projects of the hill state so that they could be completed in time without cost over-run and delays.