Kerala moves to revive Sabari Rail with push for land acquisition

The long-delayed Sabari Rail project has received fresh momentum, with the Kerala government directing the District Collectors of Kottayam, Idukki, and Ernakulam to begin acquiring the remaining land for the project.

Earlier this month, the Executive Director of the Railway Board had written to the Chief Secretary urging the State to expedite land acquisition in order to “de-freeze” the stalled project. Acting on this, the government has now instructed the district administrations concerned to initiate the necessary procedures. The letter, undersigned by Vijayasree K.S., Additional Secretary, Transport department, is dated August 21.

33.77 ha in Idukki

In Idukki, about 33.77 hectares of land will have to be acquired. The fair value of the land, estimated at ₹128 crore eight years ago, is now expected be two to three times. At a review meeting convened by State Railways Minister V. Abdurahiman in June, the Idukki District Collector had stressed the need for preparing a revised package that accounted for the hike in land value, including contingency and establishment charges.

In Kottayam, nearly 163 ha of land has already been acquired. At the June meeting, the District Collector proposed reopening the Railway Land Acquisition Office and sought funds for establishment charges. Discussions also touched upon revising the alignment of the project and formulating a new Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) package.

SIA study

Meanwhile, the Ernakulam Collector noted that the Social Impact Assessment (SIA) study is under way. To support land acquisition, proposals were made to establish dedicated offices with adequate staff. The demand to revive the acquisition office at Perumbavoor and strengthen the existing office at Muvattupuzha was also raised.

During the review, the Chief Engineer of Railways had emphasised the need for a tripartite agreement between the State government, Railways, and the Reserve Bank to be executed at the earliest. It was also reiterated that the cost of land acquisition up to Erumely would have to be borne entirely by the State government.

The project, spanning 111.48 km from Angamaly to Erumely, was first proposed in the 1997-98 Railway Budget. Envisioned as a transport corridor to the Sabarimala temple, it is expected to ease pilgrim travel and boost the economic prospects of the hilly regions of Central Travancore.