Sabari rail project delay leaves landowners in limbo

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With another round of uncertainty looming over the Angamaly–Erumely Sabari rail project, landowners affected by the inordinate delay in the acquisition of their properties have demanded speedy government action.

A section of the landowners, whose holdings have remained effectively frozen for nearly three decades, met Higher Education Minister Roji M. John and Chalakudy MP Benny Behanan on Sunday (August 16) and submitted a memorandum seeking their intervention.

The landowners said the Minister and the MP had promised to address their concerns. However, there has been no official communication from either of them.

Recently, a group of landowners met Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan and submitted a similar memorandum. The Sabari Railway Central Action Council has also urged MPs representing areas along the proposed alignment to intervene and end the deadlock over the project.

Meanwhile, Pathanamthitta MP Anto Antony has written to the Chief Minister, requesting him to convene a meeting of elected representatives and officials concerned “to resolve administrative bottlenecks and address the concerns of the landowners.”

Attingal MP Adoor Prakash has also written to the Chief Minister, requesting him to urge the Union Railway Minister to sanction a survey for preparing a detailed project report (DPR) for a railway line connecting Balaramapuram and Erumeli via Pathanamthitta, Punalur, and Nedumangad. The line has been proposed as the second phase of the Sabari rail project, extending to Vizhinjam seaport.

The affected landowners renewed their demand for action as little progress had been made since the then LDF government issued the land acquisition notification in March, ahead of the Assembly elections.

The Railways’ recent decision to approve a survey for a proposed railway line linking Theni with Erumely has added to the landowners’ concerns. They suspect that the Kerala government’s alleged reluctance to proceed with land acquisition may have prompted the Railways to encourage the Theni–Erumely proposal.

The affected landowners have repeatedly highlighted their plight, saying that they have been unable to sell or mortgage land parcels falling within the proposed alignment since the project was conceived in 1997.

“Children who were born when the land was earmarked for the project are now 28. However, their families have been unable to sell or mortgage their land to meet expenses such as education and weddings,” said Seena Benny, one of the landowners.

Jijo Panachinani, secretary of the Sabari Railway Central Action Council, said the delay in opening land acquisition offices could no longer be tolerated.

“The land acquisition notification was issued last March after the Central government and the then State government showed renewed interest in the project.