Tamil Nadu Authorizes Land Acquisition for Long-Stalled Thanjavur-Pattukottai Rail Line
State officials have issued an administrative sanction to acquire 150 hectares of land for a 52-kilometer broad gauge railway project that was first proposed in 2013. The decision marks the first significant movement for the infrastructure project after more than a decade of bureaucratic delay.
Key takeaways
- The Tamil Nadu government has sanctioned the acquisition of 150 hectares of land for the Thanjavur-Pattukottai railway project.
- A total of 25 villages in Orathanadu, Thiruvonam, and Pattukottai taluks will be impacted by the new 52-kilometer broad gauge line.
- The project was originally approved in the 2013-14 Railway Budget but faced ten years of delays due to land acquisition hurdles.
- Southern Railway must now allocate funds to utilize the newly sanctioned land and begin the construction phase.
Overview
The Tamil Nadu government has formally approved the land acquisition process for the long-delayed Thanjavur-Pattukottai broad gauge railway line. This administrative sanction ends over ten years of stagnation for the 52-kilometer infrastructure project, which was initially introduced during the 2013-14 Union Budget under the United Progressive Alliance administration.
Land Allocation Details
State authorities will acquire a total of 119 hectares of private patta land and facilitate the alienation of 31.63 hectares of government-owned poramboke land. The project spans across 25 villages located within the Orathanadu, Thiruvonam, and Pattukottai taluks. The government order specifically categorizes the land required for the new line, including 21.92 hectares of wetlands and 80.38 hectares of dry land, alongside smaller portions of Manavari and Ryot manai plots.
Key Facts
- The project was first sanctioned in 2013 with an initial estimated cost of 290 crore rupees.
- Acquisition will proceed under the Tamil Nadu Acquisition of Land for Industrial Purposes Act, 1997.
- Thanjavur's District Revenue Officer has been designated as the primary Land Acquisition Officer.
- The state has authorized 13 new staff positions, including a Special Tahsildar, to manage the legal and administrative workload.
- The 52-km broad gauge line is designed to improve connectivity for commuters and commercial transport in the delta region.
Background
Despite being sanctioned a decade ago, the railway link remained purely on paper due to unresolved land transfer issues. The recent move follows a formal proposal from the Thanjavur District Collector and a subsequent recommendation by the Commissioner of Land Administration. Local rail user groups have spent years advocating for this specific development, arguing that the delta region requires improved transit links to support economic growth. While the state has now cleared the path for land transfer, stakeholders are now calling on the Southern Railway to allocate the necessary funds to begin physical construction.
Source: The Hindu — National
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