Question : Angamaly-Sabari Railway Line

(a) whether the Government has any proposal for the speedy completion of Angamaly-Sabari Rail project in Kerala and if so, the details thereof;
(b) the current status of the above Rail Project;
(c) whether the Angamaly-Sabari Rail project has been removed from the priority list of Kerala Rail Development Corporation Ltd.;
(d) if so, the details thereof;
(e) the details of latest revised estimate of Sabari Rail project; and
(f) the steps taken/proposed to be taken for timely completion of this project?

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS AND COMMERCE & INDUSTRY

(SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

(a) to (f): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (f) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 555 BY ADV. ADOOR PRAKASH AND ADV. DEAN KURIAKOSE TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 20.11.2019 REGARDING ANGAMALY-SABARI RAILWAY LINE

(a) to (f): Angamali-Sabarimala new rail line (116 Km) was sanctioned in 1997-98 at a cost of ` 550 crore. The 5 km section of this project was passing through Periyar Tiger Reserve Forest. On the request of State Government, the project was terminated at Erumeli due to reserve forest area.

Alignment of the project passes through three Districts i.e. Ernakulam, Idukki and Kottayam districts. Final location survey (FLS) for Angamali-Kaladi-Ramapuram section (70 Km) has been completed in 2002 and further survey in the Kottayam district was stopped by local people in 2007 due to objections on alignment.

To resolve the issue, State Government proposed a revised alignment from Ramapuram to Erumeli (41 km). Revised alignment has been approved.

For this project, Government of Kerala had consented for sharing 50% of above project cost in November, 2015. However, the State Government had requested in November, 2016 to execute this project with Railway funds.
Due to alignment issues as stated above and abnormal increase in land cost, the project cost has increased from ` 550 crore to ` 2815 crore. Land Cost has been increased from ` 22.82 crore (in original estimate) to ` 965 crore. Due to this, State Government has again been requested in January 2018 to continue to share 50% cost of the project.Even though Government of Kerala has approved alignment in 2013, local people are not permitting survey work in Kottayam District. FLS for Ramapuram-Erumeli (41 Km) has been taken up with police protection and the progress is very slow due to continuous protest; despite this, 10 Km FLS has been completed so far.

The project is presently held up as Government of Kerala is neither arranging the land nor agreeing to share 50% cost as agreed by them earlier and also due to resistance created by the local people. These issues have been brought to the notice of Government of Kerala by various letters dated 06.02.2018, 01.03.2018, 26.03.2018 & 08.08.2018.

This project has not been entrusted to Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited.

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