THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Nine new railway lines have been allocated for Tamil Nadu in the Union Budget while this is two for Kerala. Track doubling in Kerala will be seven whereas this is 14 in Tamil Nadu. The total amount allocated for railway projects in Kerala is Rs 8,999 crore. Rs 30,961 crore has allocated to Tamil Nadu-another significant difference.

Kerala can accuse of neglect towards the state, but neither the state government nor the lawmakers are working hard for the projects.

General Manager John Thomas, who is a Malayali, was behind the decision of the Southern Railway to double the Thiruvananthapuram-Nagercoil line and to make the Nemom project a reality and for the railways to raise funds for it. He has been considering the interests of the state since becoming general manager.

The Tamil Nadu government had in September submitted a detailed letter to the Railway Ministry regarding the railway projects. That is how the money was received, including for the Rameshwaram-Dhanushkodi line.

Last year, Tamil Nadu got almost the entire amount allotted to the Southern Railway in the Union Budget. At that time Tamil Nadu got Rs 8500.8 crore for line doubling while Kerala got only Rs 106.95 crore.

Allocations for Tamil Nadu

9 new lines - 871 km, 11,988 crore

4 Forge conversion - 839 km, 4, 788 crore

Road doubling-1, 418 km, 14, 174 crore

For Kerala

Two new lines - 146 km, 3,293 crore

Road doubling - 312 km, 5, 506 crore