Kochi: The state government should either officially announce scrapping of the Sabari Rail project or expedite the land acquisition process, if the project is still under consideration, demanded representatives of Sabari Rail action council. While addressing a press conference at Ernakulam Press Club on Friday, they said that more than 5000 families whose land has been identified for the rail project are in a fix. They can’t sell or lease the land.
The government has handed over compensation of 25 hectares of land acquired initially. But the remaining land has not been taken over though the plots were marked for acquisition. “The government has failed to initiate the project conceived during 1997 – 98 even after 20 years. The state is not interested to implement the project and urged the Centre to bear the entire cost. The government should make its stand clear to the land owners,” said Viswanathan Nair, action council convener.
