The Kerala High Court dismissed a batch of writ petitions seeking a directive not to proceed with land acquisition for the proposed semi-high-speed rail corridor without the approval of the Central government, the Railway Board, and other statutory boards.
When the petition came up for hearing, the State government and the Railways submitted that they were in the process of constructing a new double line rail corridor as a Silverline semi-high-speed railway between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod. This will be in addition to the existing two railway lines and will enable trains to travel at a maximum speed of around 200 kmph.
The project was conceptualised to meet the growing demand from rail passengers and cater to future travel needs. The project is expected to materialise within five years on getting formal approval from the Railway Board.
A joint venture company of the State government and the Railways, called Kerala Rail Development Corporation Ltd. (KRDCL), had been formed for the implementation of the project. In fact, the NITI Aayog had examined the detailed project report and had sought certain clarifications. The State had already already furnished its reply.
The petitions alleged that the project was financially enviable, ecologically destructive, and commercially non-feasible.
The court also recorded the submission of the State government and the Railways that they would proceed with the project only after getting concurrence from the Centre as well as the Railway Board and other statutory authorities. It also recorded that their submission that the provisions of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act would be followed strictly before acquiring land.
The court said it could not interfere with a policy decision either on the ground that it was erroneous or on the ground that a better, fairer, or wiser alternative was available.
