Kerala's Rail Projects: Land Acquisition Roadblocks

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw urged Kerala's Chief Minister to speed up land acquisition for delayed rail initiatives. Although the Centre allotted Rs 2,100 crore, only 64 out of 470 hectares of land have been acquired. The plea highlights delays in projects like Angamali-Sabarimala and Thiruvananthapuram-Kanyakumari.

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has formally requested Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to hasten the process of land acquisition for pivotal rail projects languishing due to delays. Despite the Centre's Rs 2,100 crore budget allocation for these projects, only 64 hectares of the necessary 470 hectares have been secured.

Highlighting specific projects in jeopardy, Vaishnaw noted that the Kerala government had only acquired 24 hectares for the Angamali-Sabarimala railway line, even though 416 hectares are essential for completion. In another instance, the Thiruvananthapuram-Kanyakumari project saw the acquisition of 33 out of 40 hectares using funds of Rs 1,312 crore.

The minister expressed urgency in a letter, urging Vijayan to instruct relevant officials to expedite acquisition to pave the way for executing major railway infrastructure projects. The projects in Kerala, valued at Rs 12,350 crore, have received an unprecedented Rs 3,011 crore allocation for the 2024-25 fiscal year.

(With inputs from agencies.)