The Government of India has not given any approval to the 530.6 km long Semi High Speed Rail Project linking Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod, according to member of Lok Sabha N K Premachandran.
Premachandran was reacting to the claims made by Kerala’s Finance Minister K N Balagopalan and Rajya Sabha member Elamaram Kareem (CPI-M) that the project has been approved by the Union Government.
K Sudhakaran, president, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee who is also a member of Lok Sabha made it clear on Thursday that there is no change in the stance of his party via-a-viz the High Speed Rail Line. “We are of the view that this is an anti-people project and should never be implemented in the present form,” Sudhakaran told the media.
In a reply to the starred question by Premachandran, Union Minister for Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw said that though the Kerala Government has submitted a detailed project report of the proposed semi speed rail line, the same was incomplete in many respects and no approval has been given.
“Consideration of the Project depends upon techno-economic viability of the project. Sufficient details for technical feasibility are not available in the DPR. Therefore Kerala Government has been advised to provide detailed technical documents such as alignment plan, particulars of railway land and private land, crossings over existing railway network, duly depiction affected railway asset through Zonal Railway for detailed examination of the project and to arrive at conclusion about feasibility of project,” Vaishnaw said in reply to the question by Premachandran.
The minister also disclosed that the Centre was aware of the protests and agitations going on in Kerala against the project. “Government of Kerala has issued 4(1) notification for conducting social impact assessment study. The SIA study report will bring out the extent of impact on public in general. Project is not yet sanctioned. Consideration of the Project will depend upon techno-economic viability of the project,” said the Minister.
The Ministry of Railways has 49 per cent stake in the joint venture project while Government of Kerala would hold the remaining 51 per cent. The land acquisition for the project is in limbo following widespread agitation and resistance from people whose lands are to be acquired for the semi high speed rail line.
Many people facing displacement from their houses have threatened self immolation along with family members if the government forcefully tries to take over their land. A group of BJP leaders from Kerala are camping in New Delhi to request the Union Railway Minister not to give approval to the project which would bring down the travel time between Kasaragod and Thiruvananthapuram to four hours from the present 12 hours.
The project requires 1,383 hectare land for completion of the rail route. C R Neelakantan, engineer-turned-environmentalist said that out of the total land required, 1,200 hectare land was with private people. “The land acquisition would displace 25,000 to 35,000 people from their land. Where will they go? Does the government have alternative arrangements to rehabilitate and resettle these people in this land starved State?” asked Neelakantan.
E Sreedharan, former boss of Delhi Metro, has come put against the proposed rail line terming it would lead to environmental and ecological disaster. Many environmentalists, nature conservationists and farmers unions too have expressed solidarity with those who oppose the project.
