While plans are afoot to shift the long-awaited ₹550-crore rail coach factory from Palakkad to Sonepat in Haryana, the land acquired by the State government at Kanjikode for the project five years ago remains idle. Except for a partially completed compound wall, no construction has been taken up there.
230 acres
It was after hectic negotiations with landowners that the government completed acquisition of 230.10 acres sought by the Railway Ministry, which paid ₹32.44 crore, for the factory. Railways had demanded an additional 90 acres for the second phase of the factory.
Now, the Ministry is planning to shift the factory to 161.48 acres of land promised on lease by the Haryana government. While Ministry sources have confirmed the move, there is no clarity on the future use of the land acquired here.
“Apart from the land price, the Union government has allocated hardly ₹1.60 crore for the project. The factory was sanctioned for Palakkad following agitations, especially over the Union government’s discrimination against the State, in the railway sector. It is time to ensure a broad-based unity among Keralites to prevent the shifting of the factory to Sonepat,” says Palakkad MP and CPI(M) leader M.B. Rajesh.
A decade ago
A decade has passed since a Railway Budget proposed the coach factory at Kanjikode, saying it would help Indian Railways in ensuring timely availability of train coaches. The project was proposed to be completed in three years with an annual production capacity of 450 coaches.
“We are ready to join a united political resistance. But the MP too has a responsibility in delaying the project. The then LDF government took four years to acquire land for the project sanctioned by the then UPA government,” said Sumesh Achuthan, vice president, District Congress Committee. He said the factory should be established at Kanjikode under public-private partnership.
Meanwhile, BJP district president E. Krishnadas termed the reports about shifting of the factory baseless. “The BJP is committed to implementing the project which was delayed because of the negligence of the State and Union governments. The party can convince the Narendra Modi government about the need to retain the factory at Kanjikode,” he said.
