As the state slips into election mode, landowners whose properties have been foreclosed on in the Angamaly-Erumely Sabari railway project fear they have been pushed into another round of uncertainty. Although the project appeared to be back on track in recent months after years of uncertainty, landowners’ hopes that the acquisition process would soon resume hit a snag after the election was called.
The file regarding setting up land acquisition offices for the project is pending with the finance department and further decisions on it are likely to be taken only after the elections, sources said. A sense of disappointment was evident in the initial reactions of some landowners whose plots remained earmarked for the rail corridor for years, with no clarity on compensation.
“As far as I understand, only landowners like us and a few people who are keen on a rail corridor in the region are interested in the project. The Center and the state government could have completed the procedures without delaying them till the elections,” said MP Viswanathan Nair, whose holding in Okkal panchayat has been earmarked for the project. He added that he found no fault with those who say the recent developments surrounding the project were an election gimmick.
Salim NA of Okkal shared this sentiment and said he became hopeful after the state and the center showed renewed interest in the project in the last few months. “We all hoped that the land acquisition offices would be opened before the election was announced. Now I am afraid that the fate of the project will depend on the election results,” he said.
The two men are among thousands of people whose land has been earmarked for the 110-km railway line covering parts of Ernakulam, Idukki and Kottayam districts.
Meanwhile, the management of Sabari Rail Central Action Council sought to allay fears and said the procedures were timely. “Land acquisition for a government project involves several offices and steps. We have been pressuring the government to speed up the work citing the upcoming elections, and the government has cooperated well with us. We hope the file will resume once the election-related restrictions are lifted,” said Jijo J. Panachiani, the council’s secretary.
The state and center will share the cost of the project and the state has decided to raise 50% of the cost of ₹1,900 crore through the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB).
Published – 15 March 2026 20:36 IST
