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Drastic reduction in railway budget allocation for Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The allocation for doubling of railway lines passing through Kerala has been drastically reduced compared to that of previous year. The allocation for sanctioned railway projects has also not been hiked in the budget presented by Union Minister for Railways Lalu Prasad.

The budget grant for railway lines doubling, road overbridges, rail bridges, electrification, among other projects in the State, has also been reduced from Rs. 283.97 crore in 2007-08 to Rs.240 crore in 2008-2009. “Kerala had to pay a heavy cost to get a railway coach factory sanctioned at Kanjikode,” a top railway official said. The outlay for the doubling works in the State, which had gone up from Rs.72.50 crore in 2006-07 to Rs.150.97 crore in 2007-08, has been reduced to Rs.126.11 crore in 2008-09. Railway sources said it is estimated that doubling works alone need Rs. 2,144.80 crore.

The doubling of the congested and critical Ernakulam-Kayamkulam stretch via Kottayam and Alappuzha requires Rs.538.50 crore. With this meagre outlay, it would take several years for completing the doubling work.

The railway authorities were expecting substantial outlay for the 145-km Angamali-Sabarimala and the 51-km Tanur-Guruvayur railway lines. But, only Rs.25 crore has been allocated for them.The authorities were also hoping to get funds for introducing Mainline Electric Multiple Units (MEMU) to take care of the needs of short-distance commuters. One EMU can take care of passengers in two to three passenger trains. But, only Rs.1.11 crore and Rs.1.66 crore have been provided for inspection and stabiling facilities of MEMU at Kollam and Palakkad. Against a project cost of Rs.85 crore for setting up a plant for manufacturing fabricated rolling stock components of coaching stocks in Alappuzha, only Rs.1.11 crore had been provided.

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