Kochi: The decades-old ₹3,801 crore 111 kilometres Angamaly to Sabarimala rail project is getting a fresh leash of life as the centre has lifted the suspension imposed on it, media reports said.
A Central team will review the preparations, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told Kerala MPs Benny Behanan, Anto Antony, Dean Kuriakose, M K Raghavan and V K Sreekandan among others.
He assured that the work will resume with the cooperation of Kerala government which is willing to bear 30% of the cost for land acquisition.
Speaking in Lok Sabha, the Minister had suggested Kerala to begin land acquisition with 50% of the project cost to kick start the project work. The first phase is set to begin with allocation of ₹600 crore for land acquisition.
A total of Rs ₹600 crore is needed to acquire 58 kms land from Angamaly to Thodupuzha under the first phase while the acquisition of 12 kms land under second phase from Thodupuzha to Ramapuram falls on the shoulders of Kerala government.
The Sabari Railway project is included under PM-Proactive Government and Timely Implementation and is monitored by the Prime Minister’s Office.
Completion of the project will be a blessing to people of Idukki, Ernakulam, Kottayam where large number of tourists throng through out the year.
A memorandum of understanding between Kerala and Railways on 27 January 2016 agreed to identify commercially viable railway projects to entrust the work to a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) on a 51:49 per cent equity basis. The Railways did a preliminary survey on the project in 1996.
Boost to Sabari Project
