KOTTAYAM: The change in the alignment of the Sabari railway line which was decided by the UDF government in 2014 was opposed by the Southern Railway owing to cost escalation and additional track length involved.
This was revealed in an RTI reply received by Mr Tony Thengumpally, chairman of Deepthi action council which is opposing the change in the alignment.
The reply filed by the under-secretary of the transport department said that the chief administrative officer (construction) of the Southern Railway had raised the objection at a meeting of people’s representatives held on February 11, 2014 to decide on the new alignment. The meeting was chaired by the then chief minister Oommen Chandy.
The railway officer said that the previous alignment with 9-km-long passage through Idukki district was the best feasible affecting the least number of inhabitants.
The new alignment in Kottayam district would increase the track length and cost of construction at Rs 1 crore per km as per the current estimates.
The Lok Sabha MPs from Kottayam and Pathanam-thitta and the Rajya Sabha MP from the district did not participate in the meeting which added more places, including Anthinadu, Mankara and Vezhanganam in the Bharananganam panchayats, Keezampara and Deepthi in Thalapalam panchayat, Chathanku-lam in Meenachil panchayat and Kappad in Kanjirapally panchayat under the new alignment.
The then water resources minister P.J. Joseph, Kanjirapally MLA N. Jayaraj and Kaduthuruthy MLA Mons Joseph and railway officials were present at the meeting.
The Deepthi action council has demanded the cancellation of the new alignment since the decision was taken in a meeting in which the MPs belonging to the region were absent, Mr Thengumpally said.
