BJP leader and former Union minister of state for Railways, Ravneet Singh Bittu, on Jattvibeday said the Centre has approved a detailed estimate of Rs 1,419.05 crore for the new 39.68-km Qadian-Beas broad gauge railway line in Punjab.Describing it as a major milestone for Punjab and a historic development for the Majha region, Bittu expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and the Railway Board for taking the long-pending project forward that would connect Qadian in Gurdaspur district with Beas in Amritsar district through a 39.68-km broad-gauge corridor.The sanction marked a breakthrough after years of efforts to revive and defreeze the railway line, he said.”I personally pursued this long-pending project and ensured that the Qadian-Beas line, which remained stuck for years, was defrozen and brought back into active consideration,” Bittu said.He said the history of the Qadian-Beas railway project made the latest sanction particularly significant.The project was originally approved during 1928-29, when construction had made substantial progress before being discontinued in the early 1930s.It was subsequently revived under the Socially Desirable Rail Connectivity Programme and was included in the Supplementary Railway Budget of 2010-11 as a socially desirable new-line project, with an estimated cost of Rs 205 crore, Bittu said.Despite the sanction, the project remained stalled for years due to technical, alignment, land acquisition and procedural issues, he added.”During my tenure (as Union minister), I repeatedly took up the matter with the railway ministry and officials and pushed for the defreezing of the project so that this long-pending rail link could move towards implementation,” Bittu said.In June 2026, the Centre formally announced the revival of the 39.68-km Qadian-Beas line at an estimated cost of around Rs 1,400 crore.”The latest Railway Board sanction has placed the detailed estimate at Rs 1,400 crore,” Bittu said.The railway line will pass through Qadian, Dhapai, Ghuman, Butala, Sathiala and Beas, bringing several previously underserved areas of the Majha region onto the railway network.Bittu said the benefits of the project will extend well beyond the immediate alignment.”Gurdaspur and Batala will gain substantially from improved access to the railway network through the Qadian corridor, while Beas will provide an important connectivity point towards the wider railway network.”This will make movement of people, agricultural produce, traders, students and pilgrims easier besides strengthening economic linkages between towns and villages of the Majha region,” Bittu said.The project includes crossing stations at Ghuman and Butala, 11 major bridges, 121 minor bridges, 54 roads under bridges, modern signalling and telecommunication systems and Kavach technology.Bittu said the immediate priority must now be land acquisition so that railway construction can move ahead without any administrative delays.Stating that the Punjab government cannot cite lack of funds as an excuse for delaying land acquisition, Bittu said the money is already available.”Up to Rs 3,725 crore is lying with the respective deputy commissioners for land acquisition. When the funds are available, the land has been identified, and demarcation has already been carried out, there is absolutely no reason for files to remain pending in government offices,” he said.”The Centre and the Railways have done their job. The issue is now one of administrative will and execution, rather than availability of funds,” Bittu added.Bittu also asked the chief secretary, the concerned deputy commissioners and SDMs to immediately accelerate every stage of the land acquisition process.”I have repeatedly written to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann about all the ongoing railway projects and the need to expedite land acquisition and other state-level formalities, but I have received no response.””My last letter was dated July 23, which specifically urged the state government to take immediate steps on land acquisition and related formalities. There has been no response so far,” Bittu said.