Land rows slow down PM Modi's bullet train

The bullet train project was jointly launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2017 along with the erstwhile Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe. The National High-Speed ​​Rail Corporation Limited has said the train's travel time from Ahmedabad in Gujarat to Mumbai in Maharashtra will be just three hours.

Ahmedabad:Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet project, a high-speed bullet train is yet to roll down the tracks through the bustling economic corridors of Maharastra and Gujarat. Even though contracts worth Rs 1390 crore have been awarded to L&T and IHI Infrastructure Company for 28 bridges connecting Mumbai and Ahmedabad, the project is still entangled in controversy. A petition has been filed in the Gujarat High Court by 318 people from Sabarmati area of Ahmedabad in connection with land acquisition for the project.

The petition sought the government to order rehabilitation arrangements. The matter heard by a division bench of Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Biren Vaishnav was postponed and it is likely to be heard on June 28. The Court directed preliminary copies of the application to be handed over to the enforcing officer of Western Railway and the National High-Speed ​​Rail Corporation.

Sources said the project is likely to be implemented in two phases amid furore over land acquisition. Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal raised the issue in the Lok Sabha on March 10, 2021 about non-participation and lack of interest from the current Maharashtra state government in land acquisition.

While the project is underway in full swing in Gujarat, it appears to be in turmoil in Maharashtra. Opposition from farmers' organizations and lax policy by the state government stalls the project's further development.

1908 objection applications

A total 73,64,819 square meters of land is to be acquired for the project, out of which 69,98,888 square meters of land has been acquired. While 3,65,931 square meters of land is yet to be acquired, 1908 complaints from farmers were received in connection with the land acquisition.

Land acquisition was planned in urban areas of eight districts in Gujarat. However, protests erupted and the highest number of objections were received from Surat, Bharuch, Valsad, Navsari and Anand. Objections have also come from Vadodara and Ahmedabad. The largest areas to be acquired are in Surat, Bharuch and Valsad while the smallest is in Ahmedabad.

Land acquisition stalled in Ahmedabad

In Ahmedabad district, land acquisition is pending in Sabarmati, Ghatlodia, Vatva and Asarwa revenue taluks. Required land acquisition has been completed in Daskroi. In Sabarmati and Ghatlodia, two objections have been filed regarding land acquisition. While the large-scale land acquisition is pending, people ponder over its completion in the next two years.

Photos of bullet train enthralled netizens

Wooing netizens, pictures of the bullet train, a E5 Series Shinkansen released by the Japanese High Commission based in India, had gone viral on social media. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project's targeted completion is by 2023-24. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 1.08 lakh crore and 81% of it was borrowed from Japan.

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Through the stretch of 508 kilometres, there will be 12 railway stations - eight in Gujarat and four in Maharashtra. It includes Sabarmati, Ahmedabad, Anand, Vadodara, Bharuch, Surat, Bilimora, Vapi, Boisar, Virar, Thane and Mumbai.

Tracing back the events

The project was jointly launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2017 along with the erstwhile Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe. Abe came to Ahmedabad and laid the foundation stone for the project.

The bullet train is expected to run at a speed of 320 kilometres per hour. The National High-Speed ​​Rail Corporation Limited (NHRCL) claimed that the travel time between Ahmedabad and Mumbai would be reduced to 3 hours.