Kerala rail project: HC sets aside stay order, allows survey

SETTING ASIDE a single-judge bench’s stay order, a division bench of the Kerala High Court on Monday allowed the state government to conduct a survey for the proposed semi-speed rail corridor.

The Rs 63,491-crore ambitious project of the CPI(M)-led government has been facing massive protests over the survey and marking of the corridor boundary.

Last week, the Railways told the court that it is “advisable” that proceedings of land acquisition for the proposed corridor be “stopped at this stage” – and that feasibility of its current alignment “has not been agreed” to by the Ministry of Railways. The project is a joint venture of the state government and the Railways.