Confusion over the cost-sharing between the State and the Railways and opposition from the local people in Kottayam and Idukki districts over the approved alignment of the Sabari railway line has brought the work to a standstill.
Though the Railways provided ₹225 crore in the 2017-18 Union budget for the 111 km Sabari line, the cash-strapped utility wants the State to share 50% of the cost by including it in priority list of Kerala Rail Development Corporation Ltd, the special purpose vehicle set up for executing viable rail projects with State.
The Transport department has cancelled the government order issued for cost-sharing and has put the ball in the court of Railways pointing out that it is already a sanctioned project. But, the Railways is insisting for 50 % cost-sharing with the letter, dated January 5, from the member, works, Railway Board, the latest communication to the State government in this regard.
The estimate of the rail line sanctioned in 1997-98, had gone up from ₹550 crore to ₹1,234 crore in 2005 to ₹1,566 crore in 2011 and now stands at ₹2,815 crore as per the revised estimates. But, the Railway Board has not given the approval to the revised estimate.
Till date, the Railways has not been able to complete the first 7 km from Angamaly to Kalady. This is despite the construction of the new Kalady station and laying of the track from Angamaly to Mattoor. Another 0.6 hectares are needed in the corridor for the Railways and complete track-linking works.
The move to expedite the work in the Angamaly-Kalady-Perumbavoor reach and complete the location survey in Kottayam and Idukki districts with the budgetary allocation of ₹225 crore has also not succeeded.
The final location survey and the peg marking to fix central line and lay boundary stones in the 40 km Anthinadu in Kaloor panchayat in Kottayam district to Erumely as per the approved alignment of 2014 has come to a standstill following opposition from the locals, an official of the construction wing of the Railways told The Hindu .
No breakthrough
The efforts of the District Collector, Kottayam, to help the Railways resume survey work by holding meetings with elected representatives, the Railways, the agitators have not yielded any result. As much as 470.77 hectares is needed for the railway line which passes through Ernakulam, Idukki, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts.
Of the 140 hectares to be acquired, 132 hectares are in Muvattupuzha, Kothamangalam and Kunnathunad taluks. The remaining land acquisition proceedings could be initiated only after the completion of the survey, he said.
The Deepthi Action Council, which has been agitating for the last five years demanding change of the present alignment, has the backing of Karur, Thalappalam, Bharanganam grama panchayats that have passed resolutions demanding change of the alignment as water supply will be affected.
Council chairman Tomy Thengumpallil said the government should carry out inquiry into the fixing of the alignment and conduct SIA study before the Railways resume the final location survey.
