Himachal deputy chief minister (CM) Mukesh Agnihotri on Friday urged the Centre to extend special financial support for expanding the rail network in the state, saying improved rail connectivity was crucial for the hill state’s overall development.
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He was addressing a function held at the redeveloped Amb-Andaura railway station in Una district, which was virtually inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Jalandhar under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. Agnihotri described the station’s modernisation as a matter of pride for the district and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the initiative.
The deputy CM said the upgraded station, equipped with modern passenger amenities, would provide better services and further strengthen regional connectivity. “Since being accorded railway station status in 2011, Amb-Andaura had emerged as an important transport hub, with five trains operating daily and benefiting thousands of passengers from Una and adjoining districts,” he said.
Referring to the Bhanupalli-Bilaspur railway project, he said its estimated cost had risen from around 1,000 crore at the time of its approval in 2007 to 13,446 crore. He said the state government had already contributed nearly 847 crore and urged the Centre to treat the amount as a one-time grant while bearing the entire cost of extending the railway line beyond Bilaspur.
He also sought similar support for the 38-km Chandigarh-Baddi rail project, stating that the state had contributed around 348 crore.
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The deputy chief minister said that expanding the rail network in a hill state like Himachal Pradesh involved significant geographical challenges. Strengthening rail and air connectivity, he said, was the need of the hour for the state’s overall development, and urged the Centre to extend special support to Himachal Pradesh in this regard.
He urged the Centre to treat this contribution as a one-time grant and provide the necessary financial assistance for completing the remaining work. The deputy CM also called for expediting the proposed 40-km Una-Hamirpur rail line, saying it would significantly improve connectivity and give a major boost to economic, tourism and social development in the region.
Agnihotri said discussions were underway to associate Amb-Andaura railway station with the name of the revered Chintpurni shrine.
