Railway projects are progressing rapidly in Tamil Nadu. The track doubling of the Madurai-Tuticorin line was completed and inaugurated for Rs 1890 crores recently. While work on the doubling of the Kanyakumari Road is progressing rapidly in Tamil Nadu, no decision regarding land acquisition has been reached in Kerala. Even after two months, Kerala has not responded to the Centre's demand for a letter agreeing that the state will bear half the cost of the Sabari railway.

The total cost for this may reach up to Rs 2000 crore; a sum that will breach the state's capability, considering the current economic crippling. This trend of delaying vital projects has battered the state for so long. As time passes by, projects will have to be carried out at two to four times the cost of the original plan.

There is no point in clamouring about the Center impeding Kerala's railway development. People have had enough and the same yarn would no longer elicit empathy from the public.

“Kerala government does not have a cooperative spirit in railway development projects”, this was mentioned by Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and is a fact of the highest order. The Minister pointed out that it is not money, but land acquisition and similar issues that are mainly holding back the development of railways in Kerala. 459.54 hectares of land need to be acquired for railway development in Kerala. Till now only 62.83 hectares could be acquired.

During the UPA government, an average of Rs 372 crore was given annually for the development of Kerala's railways. But the minister also said that the Modi government has allocated Rs 2,033 crore in 2023-24 alone.

The minister approved the final location survey of Chengannur-Pamba 75 km, as an alternative to Angamali-Erumeli Sabari Path. The railway is now not considering connecting Erumeli Sabari Path with Vizhinjam Port but instead will connect Vizhinjam with Nemom station nearby.

Kerala's railway development should not be postponed due to lack of money. The amount should be raised by arranging an interest-free loan from the Center or by taking loans from NRIs.

It is quite appalling that the same government that vigorously went ahead with the Rs 60,000 crore silver line project, is now in penury and is struggling to complete basic railway projects.

A system should be put in place under the leadership of a competent IAS officer to make this possible. They should complete the land acquisition in time. There is no struggle for land acquisition in Kerala and reality suggests that decent compensation is all it is required for the mission. But mostly, the government needs to wake up from its slumber.