Piyush Goyal assures DMK MP on MRTS completion in 18 months

Replying to DMK south Chennai MP Thamizhazchi Thangapandian, Goyal said, “Construction time for completion of the balance length and commissioning of the project from Velachery to St Thomas Mount will be done in 18 months after encumbrance free land is made available by the state government.”

Of the full 5 km length, the last 500-meter stretch (from Thillai Ganga Nagar to St Thomas Mount) remains undone owing to litigation in land acquisition. Thamizhachi had written to the union Railway Minister on July 1, seeking to expedite the project completion.

In his response dated August 27, Goyal assured to complete the stretch after encumbrance free land is made available by the state government and said, “Government of Tamil Nadu has accorded consent to pay the compensation to the landowners as per judgement. Accordingly, revenue authorities are preparing the cost of enhanced payment and under the process of getting approval from Commissioner of Land Administration. Thereafter, payment will be made to the landowners by the revenue officers and land will be handed over to railways.”

Government of Tamil Nadu had issued a GO on June 12, 2019, agreeing to pay the compensation to the landowners after the Madras High Court issued orders on March 5 and June 12, directing to pay compensation to landowners as per the new Land Acquisition Act.

Going by the reply from the union Minister, railways would require 18 months to complete the work after the state government makes available about 6,550 meters of land required for the final 500-meter stretch of MRTS extension.