New Delhi [India], November 27 : Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has written to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, highlighting delays in land acquisition for major railway projects in the state.
"Currently, railway infrastructure projects worth Rs12,350 crore are underway in Kerala, with the highest-ever budget allocation of Rs3,011 crore for FY 2024-25. However, most railway projects in Kerala are stalled due to the unavailability of requisite land," Vaishnaw stated in his letter to the Chief Minister.
He noted that while the Railways had initiated efforts to acquire land for most of the sanctioned projects, the process had not been successful.
The Union Minister pointed out that the Kerala government had acquired only 64 hectares of land out of the 470 hectares required for various railway projects, despite the Centre releasing Rs2,100 crore to facilitate the process.
"Despite the payment of over Rs2,100 crore to the Government of Kerala for the required 470 hectares, only 64 hectares have been acquired. The support of the Kerala government is crucial in this matter," Vaishnaw emphasised.
"In light of this, I request you to issue suitable instructions to the concerned officers to expedite the land acquisition process so that these projects can proceed," he added.
According to the letter, key projects requiring land acquisition include the Thiruvananthapuram-Kanyakumari doubling, Ernakulam-Kumbalam doubling, Kumbalam-Turavur doubling, and the Angamali-Sabarimala new line.
For the Angamali-Sabarimala new railway line, a total of 416 hectares is needed, but the Kerala government has so far acquired only 24 hectares, despite the Centre earmarking Rs282 crore specifically for this purpose.
Similarly, for the Thiruvananthapuram-Kanyakumari doubling project, the Centre allocated Rs1,312 crore, and 33 hectares out of the required 40 hectares have been acquired.