TN acquired only 30% land, says Vaishnaw; seeks Stalin’s support

CHENNAI: Railway projects in Tamil Nadu were lagging because of the delay in land acquisition by the State government, wherein the latter has managed to take over less than one-third of the required land, said Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Responding to Chief Minister MK Stalin, who raised concerns about the reduction in funds allocated for railway projects in Tamil Nadu, Vaishnaw said projects can be speeded up only if the State government supports the ministry in land acquisition.

Vaishnaw assured that if the State government took one step forward, the Centre would take two steps for the development of railways in Tamil Nadu.

"In our Constitutional structure, land is a State subject. Projects can be executed speedily if only your government supports us in land acquisition. Only 807 hectares of land has been acquired so far against the requirement of 2,749 hectares of land," the Railway Minister said.

"We seek your intervention in land acquisition. From our side, we promise that if you take one step, we will take two steps for the development of railways in Tamil Nadu," he said.

Denying the accusations that the Centre had reduced allocation for railway projects in the State, a charge that many BJP rivals in Tamil Nadu have been raising in recent days, Vaishnaw said the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government has allocated a record Rs 6,362 crore for developing railways in Tamil Nadu.

"The amount is more than seven times the average allocation done in the UPA era (only Rs 879 crore per year)," Vaishnaw said in a social media post, quoting Stalin's post.

On Monday, Stalin expressed dismay over the reported reduction in fund allocation for Southern Railway projects and urged the Union Minister to ensure the allocation of adequate funds earmarked for new lines, doubling, and commuter amenities projects.