Sangrur, Jan. 29 -- The Union ministry of railways has formally approved the construction of a railway overbridge (ROB) at Dhuri, ending a political standoff between Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann and Union minister of state for railways Ravneet Singh Bittu. Announcing the Rs.54-crore allocation on Wednesday, Bittu confirmed that the project is set to resume shortly. In a social media post, he congratulated Punjab residents while taking a swipe at the AAP-led state government, alleging that political posturing had stalled the infrastructure work. Bittu said that work has already commenced on the Rs.70-crore Doraha overbridge, a critical link for commuters travelling from the Malwa region toward Chandigarh and Ropar. The Dhuri ROB has been a flashpoint for over a year. In June last year, CM Mann, who represents Dhuri in the assembly, claimed the state government would entirely fund the Rs.54.76-crore project to resolve long-standing traffic woes at level crossing 62-A. Mann had then promised a completion timeline of 18 months. However, Bittu countered these claims, accusing the CM of "pure optics" and asserting that the state had failed to deposit any funds with the railways. The approval effectively shifts the project's ownership toward the Centre. HTC...