Land requisition for high-speed rail projects must follow legal process: Minister

Union Minister of Culture, Tourism and Development of North Eastern Region G. Kishan Reddy on Wednesday stated that any land acquisition for high-speed rail projects must adhere to established legal procedures and cannot proceed without proper requisition orders.

Addressing concerns over the proposed high-speed rail corridors linking Hyderabad with Chennai, Bengaluru and Pune, Reddy said no formal requisition notices have been dispatched to state governments thus far. The minister attributed the delay to the ongoing alignment studies being conducted for these projects.

"Land acquisition without requisition is illegal," Reddy said, underlining the government's commitment to following constitutional and statutory procedures. The clarification comes amid speculation about the timeline and implementation status of these ambitious rail connectivity projects, which are part of India's broader infrastructure modernisation agenda.

The three proposed corridors are expected to significantly enhance transport connectivity across southern India, reducing travel times between major metropolitan centres. However, the projects remain in preliminary stages, with detailed surveys and alignment finalisation still underway before formal land acquisition procedures can commence.