Cabinet clears land acquisition for SilverLine

Nod for appropriation of 955.13 hectares of land across the State for the project

The Cabinet has cleared the acquisition of land in 12 districts across the length of the State for the proposed Semi High-Speed Railway, SilverLine.

It has sanctioned the appropriation of 955.13 hectares of land in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Kannur and Kasaragod as per the provisions of the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. The government is awaiting final approval from the Railway Board for the project.

It has deputed a Deputy Collector on Special Duty for the land acquisition. The Cabinet has also tasked 11 tahsildars backed by a sufficient number of Revenue officers to fast track the land procurement.

The SilverLine Project proposes to lessen the travel time between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod to four hours. It also aspires to open up the State’s hinterlands to development.

The State government has ordered a resurvey of 1,550 villages in the State. The Cabinet on Tuesday allocated ₹807.98 crore for the project.

The Rebuild Kerala Initiative will execute the project in four phases. The government has given administrative sanction for the first phase, which is expected to cost ₹339.438 crore. The project will usher in the uniformity of revenue, survey and registration records.

New cell

The Cabinet created an Anomaly Rectification Cell in the Finance Department to redress any complaints regarding salary revision. It deputed a joint secretary, section officer and three assistant officers to expedite the cell’s functioning.

It sanctioned ₹2.5 lakh each to the parents of Praveen Nair, who died accidentally inhaling carbon monoxide from a heater in a room during a tour in Nepal last year. It also sanctioned ₹10 lakh for the education of the only child of Renjith and Indu Lakshmi, who died in the same mishap. Chief Minister Distress Relief Fund has sanctioned the amount.

The Cabinet also ordered ₹3 lakh compensation to the families of three farmers who committed suicide to escape debt.

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