Kochi: The Union budget this time will cover all sectors, including the railways. While this may result in lesser railway projects being announced in general, the state hopes to get more bite than the previous years in terms of fund allocation, thanks to a joint venture pact signed with the railways for the execution of key projects like the Rs 3063.97-crore suburban railways. While the wishlist of the state consists more of “pending projects” already put before the centre, the first and foremost priority is for infrastructure development like doubling, gauge conversion and electrification for which Rs 650 crore is required.
“The existing rail network in the state has been saturated and our immediate priority will be doubling,” says Thiruvananthapuram Divisional Railway Manager Prakash Bhutani. “We’ve convinced the railway authorities of the need for infrastructure projects. The doubling of the Kottayam and Alappuzha lines should be completed on a war-footing. Last time, the railway budget had allotted sufficient funds for the same but we failed to utilise it due to issues like land acquisition. It’s expected that the provision will be retained this time. We’ve also batted for development of all major stations in the state and to construct new RoBs,” said Mr K.C. Venugopal M P, a member of the Railway Parliamentary Committee.
A meeting of the committee was held in October last to discuss the fund requirement for key projects and bring them to the notice of the railway ministry. The budget is also likely to mention the suburban railway project which is being carried out on the joint venture mode by the railways and the state, he said. A senior officer in the administrative division, however, said funds wouldn’t be an issue in doubling works. Rather it needed the co-operation of the state in the land acquisition issues. “Since it is for the first time that a combined budget is being presented, we’re not sure how much focus will be given for railway projects. With regard to the state, the key project is doubling of the Kottayam section for which fund is not an issue. During the last two times, we could utilise only 20 per cent of the funds allocated,” he said.
The doubling work in the congested 115 km-long Ernakulam-Kottayam-Kayamkaulam section would be completed only by the middle of 2018, over a year behind the previously set deadline by the railways. The authorities cite the delay is due to land acquisition issues in the Kuruppanthara-Ettumanur section, though the work will be completed in the remaining stretch by February end. The passenger associations, meanwhile, wanted the budget to include the past “unfulfilled” demands.
“We’re hopeful of the pending projects being implemented this time. For instance, the state has already agreed to set up the Sabari rail project on a joint venture mode. Similarly, the operation of train services from Harbour Terminus station, completion of the track maintenance work and running of new train services are expected to be implemented in the coming financial year,” said Mr P. Krishnakumar, president of Thrissur Railway Passengers Association. The present railway network density in Kerala is 2.70 km per 100 square km which is above the national average of 2.01 km per 100 square km. The average outlay to Kerala in the railway budget was Rs.821.0 crore during 2014-15 and 2016-17 which is an increase of 121percent over the average outlay of 371.9 crore during 2009-10 and 2013-14.
