The state government has approved the release of ₹150 crore as its share for the under-construction Solapur–Tuljapur–Dharashiv railway line. A government resolution in this regard was issued on February 6. There has been a long-standing demand to connect the pilgrimage town of Tuljapur by rail. Although the survey was completed earlier, the Railways had shelved the project after terming it financially unviable.
The issue resurfaced during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, following which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured that the route would be completed. Accordingly, the project was included in the Pink Book in 2019, with an estimated cost of ₹904.92 crore at the time. The then MahaYuti state government had agreed to bear 50 per cent of the cost, accepting a liability of ₹452.46 crore.
Since then, the project cost has escalated sharply to ₹3,295 crore. After the Railway Ministry sent a proposal seeking approval for the revised cost, the state government granted its consent last year, taking its total liability to ₹1,647 crore. Of this, ₹40 crore had already been released earlier.
Rana Jagjitsinh Patil, MLA, Tuljapur, said, "As the work is progressing at a fast pace, the Railways had sought an additional ₹150 crore, which was approved on Friday and will be released soon. The project is being implemented jointly by the Centre and the state. Continuous follow-up was carried out with the MahaYuti government to ensure speedy completion. With this approval, work on the railway line will gain further momentum, bringing the Tuljapur pilgrimage centre closer to being connected on the railway map."