Railway Projects in Kerala Delayed Due to Land Acquisition Issues

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Rajya Sabha that important infrastructure projects in Kerala are delayed due to land acquisition issues. John Brittas of CPI raised questions about the Nemom coaching terminal project. Vaishnaw highlighted the need for support from the Kerala government to expedite land acquisition to proceed with these projects.

Important infrastructure projects in Kerala are being delayed due to land acquisition issues, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha. The minister provided an update on the development of a new coaching terminal in Nemom.

In response to CPI (MP) John Brittas's inquiry about changes in the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Nemom satellite terminal, Vaishnaw confirmed that the project was sanctioned in April 2023 at a total cost of 116.57 crore, as per the DPR submitted by Southern Railway for 2022-23. The rigorous DPR preparation process involves assessing future traffic needs and existing infrastructure in consultation with stakeholders.

Since 2014, there has been a significant increase in fund allocation and project commissioning in Kerala, but the pace of execution hinges on rapid land acquisition. Vaishnaw stressed that the Kerala government needs to expedite land acquisition, noting that only 62.83 Ha out of the required 459.54 Ha has been acquired. The Railway has already paid 2125.61 crore to the state government for this purpose.

(With inputs from agencies.)