Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has flagged serious concerns over delays in the release of funds for railway projects in the state, writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urging immediate intervention. The letter comes days after Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw accused the state government of failing to cooperate in land acquisition, leading to project delays.

In his communication, Stalin asserted that the Railways has not sanctioned funds for acquiring 931.52 hectares of land out of the total 2,500.61 hectares required for ongoing railway projects, despite administrative approvals already being granted. He emphasised that the absence of timely funding has directly impacted land acquisition and compensation payments.

The Chief Minister noted that land acquisition for two projects involving 296.02 hectares of private land is currently under process and will be completed shortly, as revised Land Plan Schedules were only recently received from the Railways. He added that for 19 major ongoing projects, acquisition has already been completed for 1,198.02 hectares—nearly 94 per cent of the required land—which has been handed over to the Railways.

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Stalin highlighted that land acquisition has been fully completed for several key projects, including the Tindivanam–Nagari line, Madurai–Thoothukudi via Aruppukottai (Phase I), Nagercoil–Eraniel double line, Mannargudi–Needamangalam route, and the Chennai Beach–Korukkupet third and fourth lines. These, he said, demonstrate the state’s active cooperation in facilitating railway expansion.

Raising concerns over funding practices, the CM said the Ministry of Railways often releases funds in a piecemeal manner, severely hampering project execution and causing uncertainty among affected landowners. He pointed out that ₹289.78 crore is still pending for acquiring land for the Thiruvananthapuram–Kanniyakumari doubling project, which is being monitored under the Prime Minister’s Gati Shakti initiative.

In his letter, Stalin also urged the Centre to revive stalled projects such as the Thoothukudi–Madurai (via Aruppukottai) and Tindivanam–Tiruvannamalai new lines. He further sought approval for additional railway projects, stating that Tamil Nadu’s economic significance and development needs warrant greater investment in rail infrastructure.

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