The budget also set aside '20 crore as the state's share for the Kanjangad-Panatoor-Kaniyoor railway line project.
Kochi: The Pinarayi Vijayan led Left government plans to take up six railway projects to be implemented on a cost sharing basis with the Railways. Of these the budget has promised to give priority for the Rs 1566-crore Sabari rail project. “Till now the state has not provided any fund for the projects to be implemented under the joint venture initiative with the railways. A sum of Rs 50 crore is being set aside for the Sabari project and steps will be initiated to form a special purpose vehicle to implement it,” Finance Minister Thomas Issac announced in his budget speech.
The project to construct the 120-km long track from Angamaly to Erumeli was sanctioned by the railways as early as 1998 and initial construction activities started but it was shelved after the state government expressed reluctance to share the project cost. “The new budgetary allocation has rekindled hope for commencement of work. Rs 90 crore will be available for the project in the current financial year, including Rs 40 crore set aside in the central budget. A fund of '87 crore is required for land acquisition from Kalady to Perumbavur and this can be completed in this financial year itself,” said R Manoj Pala, convener, Sabari Rail Action Council.
The budget also set aside Rs 20 crore as the state’s share for the Kanjangad-Panatoor-Kaniyoor railway line project. However, the budget did not mention the Rs 3333 crore suburban railway project, in which the previous UDF government had shown much interest.
