Hyderabad: Land acquisition delays and funding gaps have stalled several key railway infrastructure projects in Telangana, significantly affecting the pace of rail development in the state.According to data from the Ministry of Railways, crucial doubling works on important rail corridors have made little progress due to a lack of land acquisition. For the Bibinagar–Guntur doubling line, a key corridor connecting Hyderabad with Chennai and Kerala, not a single hectare has been acquired out of the 31 hectares required for the project.A similar situation exists with the Mudhked–Medchal–Mahabubnagar–Dhone doubling line, where none of the 70 acres required has been acquired. Overall, Telangana requires nearly 770 hectares of land to complete the ongoing railway development projects in the state.The ministry reported significant delays in the handing over of land and the sharing of project costs by the govt of Telangana in relation to the Manoharabad–Kothapalli railway line, which spans 151 km. This has adversely affected the execution of the project. To date, the project has been commissioned only up to Siddipet.Most of these projects were sanctioned on a cost-sharing basis between the Centre and the state govt, with a total estimated cost of 4,704 crore. Telangana’s share in these projects amounts to 2,181 crore. Under the agreement, the state govt was required to deposit 1,708 crore with the Ministry of Railways. However, only 894 crore has been deposited, leaving a shortfall of 814 crore, which railway officials say is adversely affecting the progress of the projects.Hyderabad: A total of 20 railway projects, including six new lines and 14 doubling works, covering a total length of 2,166 km and costing 35,045 crore, either fully or partly in Telangana, have been sanctioned. Out of this, 548 km has been commissioned, with an expenditure of 11,550 crore having been incurred.tnn
