No delay in land acquisition for railway projects in Tamil Nadu, says minister

CHENNAI: State Minister of Revenue and Disaster Management KKSSR Ramachandran declared that the land acquisition procedure for the railway projects being carried out in Tamil Nadu is proceeding without any delays, as reported by Thanthi TV. 

In response to queries, the state minister underlined that the state government has been focused on accelerating land acquisition for a number of long-delayed railway projects since May 2021.

The Tamil Nadu government has already approved 2,443 hectares of land for these projects, showcasing its commitment to infrastructure development. "Specifically, despite the Tamil Nadu government giving administrative permission for land acquisition of 1,226 hectares, the Railway Department has not allocated funds for 2 years," he added.

The minister further stated that all work has come to a complete standstill as no approval has been given for the excavation works.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had recently said in a press briefing that most railway projects were delayed due to non-acquisition of lands by the state governments.

He also pointed out delays in land acquisition by the Tamil Nadu government, and stated that it was affecting the progress of the Chennai Beach-Chennai Egmore 4th Corridor Project. "The implementation of various rail projects in the state requires more than 2,000 acres of land, but so far, only 879 acres have been acquired," the union minister said.