Union Minister Ravneet Bittu says Punjab CM never sought Centre’s help; blames Mann for neglecting Dhuri
DHURI (SANGRUR): Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Ravneet Singh Bittu on Wednesday announced that the Centre will fully fund the construction of a railway overbridge at Dhuri’s 62A railway crossing, a project long demanded by local residents. In a sharp attack, Bittu accused Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of taking false credit for a project he allegedly made no effort to pursue.
Addressing the media during his visit to Dhuri, Bittu said he had received multiple representations from local BJP leaders and citizen groups urging immediate action on the overbridge, as the 62A railway crossing remains closed for hours, effectively cutting the town into two and causing daily chaos for commuters. Residents, he said, often have to wait three to four hours to cross the railway tracks.
“Despite being the MLA from Dhuri, the Chief Minister has done nothing to address this long-pending demand, ” Bittu alleged. “Not even a single official request or letter has been sent to the Railways from the CM or any state government functionary. Yet, now that the Centre has approved the project, Bhagwant Mann is shamelessly trying to take credit.”
Bittu particularly targeted a recent tweet by the CM in which Mann welcomed the approval of the bridge and claimed the Punjab government would contribute ₹57 crore to the project. Calling the statement misleading, Bittu said, “In the last three years, Mann has not provided a single rupee to the Railways for overbridge projects across the state. If he had even sent ₹57 lakh, he would have held a press conference. This ₹57 crore claim is pure optics.”
The Union Minister also took aim at Mann’s alleged neglect of Dhuri, noting that while past Chief Ministers made significant efforts to develop their home constituencies, Mann has failed to do so. “He hasn’t held even a single public interaction in Dhuri since becoming CM. The bus stand remains in poor condition and the local hospital lacks basic infrastructure, ” he said.
Bittu reiterated that the Railway Ministry will bear the full cost of the overbridge to ease the suffering of Dhuri residents, “not because of the state government’s efforts, but because the people deserve it.”