Allocation reduced to Rs116 crore

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Hisar, February 26

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has reduced the budgetary allocation to the Hansi-Meham-Rohtak rail line project to Rs116 crore.

In the last Budget, then Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge had allocated Rs143 crore.

Only Rs4.6 crore could be spent on the project, as the Haryana Government has been unable to provide land to the Railways for laying the lines. Kharge had laid the foundation stone of the project on July 28, 2013, in Hansi. It was decided that the Centre and state governments would equally share the cost of the Rs 410-crore project, while the state government will provide land.

The Revenue Department has completed the land acquisition process for 360 hectares spread over 20 villages, but the possession remains with landowners as they are still to be compensated.

Finance Minister Capt Abhimanyu said there was no budgetary allocation to acquire land. “The previous Congress government had made several announcements without making any provision in the budget,” he alleged.