Execution of important infrastructure (railway) projects falling fully/partly in Tamil Nadu are held up due to delay in land acquisition, said Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

The total land required for railway projects in Tamil Nadu was 3,389 Ha. However, only 866 Ha, or 26 per cent of the land, has been acquired, the minister said while replying to questions raised by State MP Kalanidhi Veeraswamy in the Lok Sabha on reduced fund allocation for new railway lines in Tamil Nadu.

The Center is geared up to execute projects. However, the success depends upon the support of the Tamil Nadu government. Some of the major projects were delayed due to land acquisition. For instance, for the 71 km Tindivanam to Tiruvannamalai, 273 Ha of land is required, but only 33 Ha of land has been acquired. No land has been acquired for the 88 km Attiputtu to Puttur New line (land required 189 Ha); 36 km Morappur to Dharmapuri (93 Ha); 41 km Mannargudi to Pattukkottai (152 Ha) and 52 km Thanjavur to Pattukkottai (196 Ha), the minister said.

Railway infrastructure projects falling fully/partly in Tamil Nadu are covered under the Southern Railway, South Central Railway, and South Western Railway zones of Indian Railways. Zonal railway-wise details of Railway projects, including cost, expenditure, and outlay, are made available in the public domain on the Indian Railway’s website.

Though fund allocation has increased manifold, the pace of project execution is dependent on expeditious land acquisition. Railways acquire the land through the State Government, and the completion of a railway project is dependent on land acquisition, he said.

As of April 1, 2024, 22 Railway projects (10 New Lines, 03 Gauge Conversion, and 09 Doubles) totalling 2,587 km and costing ₹33,467 crore, falling fully/partly in the State of Tamil Nadu, are at various stages of planning and implementation. Out of these, 665 km have been commissioned, and an expenditure of ₹7,153 crore has been incurred up to March 2024.

For infrastructure projects and safety works, falling fully/partly in the State of Tamil Nadu, the minister said between 2009 and 2014, every year, the average budget allocation was ₹879 crore. However, for the year 2024-25, the allocation was ₹6,362 crore, he said.

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