Sabari rail line should not be delayed further

Keralites have been waiting for the Sabari railway connecting the hilly districts for 26 years. Only ten kilometres of the railway line from Angamaly to Erumeli has been completed so far. The project came to a standstill after the initial enthusiasm. Aside from the complaints and finger-pointing regarding the project's lack of development, neither the state administration nor the Railway Department are taking any proactive steps to see this project through to completion. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the other day that the project was not progressing as the Centre was continuing to ignore the state's demands.

The Chief Minister was responding to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw's statement in the Lok Sabha that the Sabari rail line project hit a roadblock due to the lack of cooperation from the state government. Minister Abdurahiman, who is in charge of the railway department in the state, also pointed out that the railway minister made the statement without properly learning the facts. The Sabari rail line is expected to cost Rs 3811 crore, according to the revised estimate. Less than one thousand crore rupees were estimated when the project was first started 26 years ago. The state maintains that only by raising its borrowing limit would it be able to cover half of the costs, given the significant increase in estimates.

The Chief Minister emphasized that the Railway Minister's allegation that Kerala has not utilized the Rs 2125 crore allotted for railway development projects in the state is baseless. According to the Union Minister, all the railway development projects in the state have stalled due to issues related to land acquisition. The reality is that unlike in North India, there is no land in Kerala to give away for cheap amounts. The land to be acquired for the first 70 km of the Sabari rail line had been demarcated using stones many years ago. 17 km of land from Angamaly was also acquired for the project. The project came to a standstill after that. Now, a survey of another project extending from Chengannur to Pamba has received approval instead of the Angamali-Erumeli route. This rail line is mainly useful for Sabarimala pilgrims only.

Several hilly districts will benefit from the proposed Angamaly-Erumeli train route. If it is eventually extended from Erumeli to Thiruvananthapuram and Balaramapuram, it will also aid in cargo movement from Vizhinjam Port. Both sides of the proposed Vizhinjam-Kadampattukonam Ring Road would be transformed into industrial corridors upon its completion. Huge changes will happen if a rail line is constructed nearby. Both the central and state governments should jointly try to make compromises to bring the Sabari Path out of limbo. The estimate will increase if ambiguity continues, which will only spark more disagreements. Realizing that states and people alike depend on the Sabari Rail Line, the Centre and the state should end their disputes and establish a conducive atmosphere for the project's advancement.