2640 crore for rail projects

The Railways recently released details regarding the allocation of Rs 2,640 crore in the Union Budget for five railway projects in Kerala. However, this does not mean that the entire amount will be directly handed over. The funds will be available for railway development in the state only if Kerala completes its responsibilities, including bearing its share of the cost and carrying out land acquisition. The long-pending Sabari rail line, announced more than three decades ago, still remains incomplete. Both the state and central governments have blamed each other for the delay, but assigning blame will not help complete the project.

An amount of Rs 505 crore has been allocated as the central share for the Sabari project. The state government still needs to complete land acquisition for it. In over 30 years, only 13 kilometres of the line have been completed. The project was revived after the state government agreed to bear half of the cost. However, the state had taken years to decide its position, which led to the project being stalled and even withdrawn for a period. It was the second Pinarayi government that took the key decision to share the cost. It is important to realise that other states complete railway projects faster because they make timely decisions without delays.

Apart from the Sabari line, funds have been allocated for four other projects. The Guruvayur-Thirunavaya railway line has been allotted Rs 280 crore, which will help move forward with land acquisition after the final location survey is completed. Railway authorities cannot acquire land on their own in any state; this responsibility lies with the state governments. Therefore, blaming the Centre without completing these steps is not justified. An amount of Rs 400 crore has been allocated for the doubling of the Alappuzha coastal railway line. The highest allocation, Rs 1400 crore, is for the doubling of the Thiruvananthapuram-Kanyakumari line. Although Rs 1100 crore was allocated last year, Rs 300 crore was later withdrawn by the Railways.

It is believed that pressure from Tamil Nadu played a role in securing higher funds for the Kanyakumari line. Many senior officials in the Southern Railway are from Tamil Nadu, and the doubling of this route is also important for them. Approval for the project design has already been granted at Balaramapuram. Once completed, the number of visitors travelling to Kanyakumari is expected to increase significantly. Additionally, Rs 55 crore has been allocated for doubling the Shoranur-Vallathol Nagar railway line.

To ensure the timely completion of these projects, the state government should appoint a dedicated team of officials. Simply raising complaints in Parliament that the Centre is neglecting Kerala will not be effective unless the state fulfils its responsibilities.