Execution of Himachal railway projects to be discussed tomorrow

Top officials of the Himachal Pradesh Government and the Railway Ministry will meet here on Saturday to discuss modalities for execution of various railways projects in Himachal Pradesh.

This meeting has been organised after Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh met Railways Minister Mallikarjun Kharge over the issue.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Secretary S.Roy and Railway Board Chairman Arunendra Kumar will lead their respective sides at the talks to discuss the strengthening of the railway network in the state.

Chief Minister Singh said his government is ready to bear 25 percent of the total cost of the Bilaspur- Bhanupalli-Beri broad guage railway line and also offered free govt land for railway alignments .

He also offered to share the construction cost for a new railway line connecting Baddi, keeping in view the upcoming industrial and commercial complexes in the Baddi-Barotiwala -Nalagarh areas.

He requested Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge to provide adequate budgetary provision for timely completion of the Nangal-Talwara broad gauge railway line.

He informed that so far only 44-kilomters of the railway track has been constructed from Nangal to Amb-Andaura during during last 33 years .

He told that out of the total 83.74 kilometers of this railway track, 62 kilomters falls Himachal Pradesh.

He requested the railway ministry to fix a time limit for the construction of this railway line and to provide adequate budget for early completion of the survey on the Ghanaulli-Baddi-Kala Amb-Paonta Sahib-Dehradun broad guage railway line and all other railway lines.