Kerala's minister accuses central officials of misinformation

In a recent assembly session, Kerala's Revenue Minister K Rajan criticized central ministers for allegedly hiding facts about land acquisition related to national highway and railway projects in the state. He claimed that political statements being made do not reflect the reality of the situation. Rajan noted that Kerala has acquired 3,503 acres of land for highway development, with compensation totaling over Rs 25,000 crore. He mentioned that during a recent highway inauguration, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari praised Kerala's efforts and even awarded the state for its accomplishments. He also highlighted a letter from the Chairman of the National Highways Authority of India, thanking the state for its cooperation in land acquisition. For railway projects, Rajan explained that 329.695 hectares were needed, of which only 102 acres have been secured so far. He added that various notifications have been issued for additional land acquisitions, and some areas are still in the process of evaluation. Despite acquiring over 7,280 acres in total with compensation of Rs 31,264 crore, Rajan expressed disappointment over the political attacks from central ministers against Kerala's efforts. He announced that the state government is considering a new law to facilitate negotiable land purchases, aiming to overcome obstacles outlined in the existing 2013 LARR Act. Rajan hopes new legislation could be enacted with the President's approval, despite land acquisition being under central jurisdiction.