Land Acquisition Bottlenecks Stall Five Key Railway Lines in Karnataka
In a recent parliamentary disclosure, the Central government highlighted that land acquisition challenges have significantly delayed five crucial new railway lines in Karnataka. Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnav emphasized that the progress of these infrastructure projects is heavily dependent on support from the state government of Karnataka.
Parliamentary Reply Reveals Acquisition Shortfalls
In a written response to a question posed by BJP Member of Parliament Govind Karjol in the Lok Sabha, Minister Vaishnav detailed the stalled projects. The affected railway lines include the Whitefield-Kolar, Hassan-Belur, Shivamogga-Ranebennur, Belagavi-Dharwad, and Shivamogga-Harihar routes. Collectively, these five projects require a total of 1,945 hectares of land. However, acquisition efforts have yielded only 226 hectares to date, all of which pertain solely to the Shivamogga-Ranebennur project. For the remaining four lines, no land acquisition has been completed whatsoever.
State Government Responds to Acquisition Delays
When contacted by media, the Karnataka Infrastructure Development Department (IDD) provided a counterpoint, stating that land acquisition is progressing based on the availability of funds. The department noted that local issues affecting the process have been communicated to the railways. MB Patil, IDD Minister, clarified, "Land acquisition issues are relatively few, and we have been actively working to resolve them. We conduct regular reviews with district deputy commissioners to address challenges."
Patil cited the Dharwad-Belagavi rail line as an example, where some landowners have raised objections and requested changes in alignment. "Even in complicated cases like this, we have been cooperating with the railways department and ensuring work moves forward," he added.
Specific Project Challenges and State Actions
For the Dharwad-Belagavi line, landowners disputing the acquisition process hold approximately 42 acres in Dharwad. In response, Minister of State for Railways V Somanna has instructed the railways department to consider a potential change in alignment to address these concerns.
Regarding the Shivamogga-Ranebennur line, the state government has approved the acquisition of an additional 84 acres and is preparing for a 96-acre buyout. This is in addition to the 558 hectares already acquired for this specific project.
On the Hassan-Belur stretch, the state government acknowledged delays but assured that the process to acquire 220 hectares would be completed soon.
Broader Context of Railway Land Acquisition in Karnataka
Overall, Minister Vaishnav reported that 3,357 hectares of land remain to be acquired for various railway projects across Karnataka. This represents 37% of the total 9,064 hectares required statewide. To date, 5,707 hectares have been successfully acquired and handed over to the railways.
Vaishnav concluded, "The government of India is fully prepared to execute these critical projects, but their success ultimately depends on the support and cooperation of the government of Karnataka." This statement underscores the ongoing coordination challenges between central and state authorities in advancing infrastructure development.
