Kerala government not very cooperative on railway projects, says minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

Ashwini Vaishnaw said that a lot more can be done in Kerala if the "state government supports us".

Published on: Jul 24, 2024, 18:02:51 IST

By HT News Desk

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Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday hit out at the Kerala government saying that it had not been very cooperative on railway projects. He highlighted that a lot more could be done in Kerala if the state government provided support, reported news agency PTI.

Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw (PTI)

Vaishnaw made the remarks during the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha while responding to a supplementary question related to the proposed Angamali-Sabarimala railway line project, which was sanctioned back in 1997-98.

Responding to a supplementary from Congress member Adoor Prakash, Vaishnaw said, "I would like to place on record that the Kerala government has not been very cooperative on railway projects. I request the MPs to use their good offices to get the support for land acquisition... projects can be taken up only if the state government supports land acquisition".

Further, the minister said that a lot more can be done in Kerala if the "state government supports us".

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Talking about the proposed Angamali-Sabarimala railway line project, the railway minister said, "It is a complex project and the cooperation of the state government is required to be able to take this project forward." Vaishnaw added that a new alignment is being assessed.

"There is a public demand for an alternative alignment from Chenganoor to Pamba, which is shorter at around 75 km. The new alignment is only about 4 km short of the shrine. A decision has to be taken in discussion with MPs and the state government on whether the old alignment should be done or the new alignment," said Vaishnaw

"The detailed assessment of the new alignment is going on. Once it is done, a final call can be taken," the minister said.

Vaishnaw highlighted that further works on the project could not be taken forward because of protests by local people against land acquisition and fixing of alignment of the line, court cases filed against the project and inadequate support from the Kerala government.

On whether the government proposes to conduct a feasibility study for extending the Angamali-Sabarimala railway line from Erumeli to Vizhinjam International Seaport, the railway minister said the port has no connection with the Erumeli line and that the nearest railhead to the port is Nemom.

Vaishnaw highlighted that fund allocation for the railways in Kerala has increased substantially since 2014. He said that the average outlay stood at ₹2,033 crore in 2023-24 compared to ₹372 crore annually during 2009-14 period.

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