India
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw writes to CM Pinarayi Vijayan, saying land acquisition has been delayed in four railway projects in Kerala | India News – Times of India
The four projects are doubling of Thiruvananthapuram-Kanyakumari, Ernakulam-Kumbalam and Kumbalam-Turavur, and a new line from Angamali to Sabarimala. Vaishnaw, in a letter to Vijayan, said railway projects worth Rs 12,350 crore are underway in the state.
“However, most railway projects in Kerala are not progressing as the required land is not available. The Railways had made attempts to acquire land for most of the sanctioned projects but could not succeed in acquiring land,” Vaishnaw wrote. He added that of the 470 hectares required for these projects, only 64 hectares have been acquired so far.
The minister wrote, “Support from the Government of Kerala is essential in this matter.” He urged the CM to issue instructions to expedite land acquisition.
Blaming the railway ministry for the delay in project implementation, the Kerala government is also not giving permission for its flagship Silver Line project in the state.
Meanwhile, Vaishnaw, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, said there are “many shortcomings in the DPR (detailed project report)” of the Silver Line from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod, which has been identified by Kerala Rail Development Corporation Ltd (KRDCL), a joint venture from the Government of Kerala (51%) and the Railway Ministry (49%).
“KRDCL has been advised by Southern Railway to address these shortcomings and prepare a revised DPR as per latest technical norms such as adoption of broad gauge, integration with existing Indian Railways network at appropriate points, flatter prevailing gradient, speed potential of 160 kpmh, provision of KAVACH, electrification with 2×25 kv, proper drainage scheme for sites and sections, attention to environmental issues during construction and operation,” the response said.
The project has not yet been approved.
