Sadanand Gowda moots 50/50 deal on rail works
According to Railway minister Kerala government should share half the cost of ambitious railway projects
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2014-08-29 05:11 GMT
Kochi: The Kerala government should share half the cost of ambitious railway projects like track-doubling and Sabari rail for their speedy implementation which is vital for introduction of more train services, Union Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda said here on Thursday.“Karnataka shares 50 per cent of the project cost and also hands over free land to facilitate railway development. I request the Kerala Chief Minister to at least provide 50 per cent of the total cost, combining the project cost and the land acquisition expense,” the minister said.
He noted that the track-doubling works were vital given the fact that the rail capacity was already saturated and no new trains could be introduced unless the works, mainly in the Ernakulam-Kottayam-Kayamkulam section, were completed.
However, on the suburban railway project, he said the state should bear the full cost. “The state had promised earlier to fund the project fully. It should keep its word. The operational part will be taken care of by the railways without any delay once the land is handed over,” Mr Gowda said.
He brushed aside the charges that the state is being neglected when it comes to railway development. “I’ve met the MPs from the state and given them a booklet of things that the railways is doing for the state. Four new trains will start operation this year. The file is with me and I’m going to clear it at the earliest,” he said.
The new trains include Punalur-Kanyakumari, two Thiruvananthapuram-Nizamudin trains (via Kottayam and Alappuzha) and the Thiruvananthapuram-Bangalore premium. However, he made it clear that a separate zone was “not possible right now.”