New Delhi, February 13: The Union Government has sanctioned 29 rail surveys covering a total of 2,501 km in Tamil Nadu over the last four years, including six new lines and 23 doubling projects, but their execution hinges on the support of the State Government, according to the Ministry of Railways on Thursday.
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Vaishnaw highlighted the progress of recently completed projects in Tamil Nadu.
"Some of the recently completed projects falling fully or partly in Tamil Nadu include the Dindigul-Palani-Pollachi gauge conversion (121 km) at a cost of Rs 610 crore, Pollachi-Palghat (56 km) at Rs 350 crore, and Quilon-Tirunelveli-Tiruchendur (357 km) at Rs 1,122 crore. Other projects include Mayiladuturai-Thiruvarur-Karaikkudi gauge conversion (187 km) at Rs 1,338 crore and Villupuram-Dindigul doubling (273 km) costing Rs 2,000 crore," he noted.
Vaishnaw also listed ongoing projects, including the Tindivanam-Nagari new line (184 km) at Rs 3,631 crore, Trivandrum-Kanyakumari doubling (87 km) at Rs 3,785 crore, and Morappur-Dharmapuri new line (36 km) at Rs 359 crore, stressing the need for State cooperation.
However, several projects are delayed due to land acquisition issues. According to the release, "Total land required for projects in Tamil Nadu is 4,326 hectares, of which only 1,052 hectares (24 per cent) has been acquired. The balance of 3,274 hectares (76 per cent) still needs to be acquired. Support of the Government of Tamil Nadu is needed to expedite the land acquisition."
Vaishnaw provided examples of major projects delayed due to land issues, including the Tindivanam-Tiruvannamalai new line (71 km), with 243 hectares pending acquisition, and the Attiputtu-Puttur new line (88 km), for which no land has been acquired out of 189 hectares. The Mannargudi-Pattukkottai (41 km) and Thanjavur-Pattukottai (52 km) new lines have similarly seen no land acquisition. The Rameshwaram-Dhanushkodi new line (18 km), sanctioned at Rs 734 crore with a foundation stone laid on March 1, 2019, has not started due to a lack of land acquisition by the State Government.
Vaishnaw emphasised that the Government of India is ready to execute the projects, but success depends on the State's support. He added that the sanction of railway projects depends on multiple factors, including traffic projections, first and last mile connectivity, augmentation of congested lines, demands from State Governments, operational requirements, socio-economic considerations, and overall availability of funds.
Completion of railway projects, he said, depends on land acquisition, forest clearances, shifting of infringing utilities, statutory approvals, geological and topographical conditions, law and order, and the number of working months available at the project site, all of which affect timelines and costs, a release said.
This information was provided by Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a reply to questions in the Rajya Sabha today.
