Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Revenue Minister K Rajan on Thursday assured that there are no restrictions on land transactions in areas proposed for the K-Rail (SilverLine) project. Responding to a query during the Assembly’s question hour, Rajan clarified: "Only a notification under Section 6(1) of the Surveys and Boundaries Act has been issued. Any kind of land transactions, including purchase, sale, or pledging, can be made in the proposed K-Rail project."

Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan countered the minister’s claims, arguing that land earmarked for the project is effectively unsellable despite the lack of an official notification. "It is not even possible to pledge stone-paved land meant for K-Rail to cooperative banks for mortgages. No one is coming to buy the land," he stated. Satheesan further alleged that government indecision over the project has led to uncertainty among landowners.

Rajan reiterated that there were no hurdles to land transactions and pledged that any specific difficulties faced by landowners could be taken up with the District Collector for resolution. He insisted that land acquisition for the K-Rail project does not impede sales or mortgages.

The proposed 530-km railway line, a joint venture between the Kerala government and the Ministry of Railways, has been stalled due to widespread public protests, political opposition, and delays in securing central government approval.

What about land acquisition for Kannur airport?
Addressing another land-related issue, Rajan announced that a special rehabilitation package would be prepared for families losing their homes due to the expansion of the Kannur airport runway. He confirmed that the Kannur District Collector has been tasked with formulating the package.

Rajan assured that "Measures will be taken to prevent revenue recovery on the notified land, including those mortgaged to Kerala Bank, which had set an example in handling land attachment related to the Wayanad landslides. All 200 affected families will be rehabilitated." He added that a chief minister-led meeting would be convened this month to speed up the process.

Congress MLA Sajeev Joseph raised concerns about the impact of airport expansion on nearby communities. Satheesan went further, criticising the government for failing to address damage caused by rocks and debris from airport land. "People in the region are living in dire conditions, and the steps for ending the attachment proceedings should be taken immediately," he urged.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has assured timely action to resolve all issues related to land acquisition for the Kannur airport expansion. Rajan confirmed that attachment proceedings would be halted, and revenue recovery would be carried out based on the special rehabilitation package. Additionally, Kozhikode REC has been assigned to determine the price of buildings on the proposed land, with compensation to follow swiftly. "The process of determining the land price for the runway expansion is ongoing. Documents are being examined, and the compensation amount will be fixed accordingly," Rajan stated.

With PTI inputs