Sabari project: State registers protest

The state has registered its strong protest with the Centre over attempts to impose a new set of norms for land acquisition for the Sabari rail project thereby causing delay in its implementation, Power and Railway Minister Aryadan Mohammed has said.

The new norms say that the state has to bear the share of cost of land acquisition as per the market value, up to 50 per cent of the total cost.

Upholding many of the points raised by Saju Paul (CPM) during a submission in the Assembly on Wednesday, Aryadan Mohammed said that the project conceived in 1997 with an outlay of Rs 550 crore has been stalled.

The revised estimates of 2007 has put the cost at Rs 1,286 crore. Acquisition of land has been completed only in Ernakulam district, Saju Paul pointed out.

“But the compensation has not been paid. There are hitches in the land acquisition in Idukki and Kottayam and also in finalising the alignment. People in Ernakulam district whose land had been acquired are not able to conduct any dealings with their holdings on account of the markings made for the project,’’ he pointed out.