KOCHI: The Angamaly-Erumeli Sabari Railway project is going at a snail’s pace. Even though the Kottayam and Idukki district collectors have submitted the land acquisition proposals, the delay appears to be occurring on the part of the Ernakulam district collector. According to sources at the transport department, the collector has requested additional time to prepare and submit the detailed land acquisition proposal.
Jijo P, Secretary of the Sabari Railway Action Council Federation, told TNIE that they met with the under secretary of the transport department. “The under secretary told us that the department has been told to wait until the proposal from the Ernakulam district collector is received. He said that a week has been given to the collector,” said Jijo.
It has also been understood that a revised land acquisition notification for the project will be issued soon. All this is going to further delay the project that had been first cleared in 1998. In another development in the project, the state government has received a large number of petitions seeking the extension of the line to Vizhinjam Port.
“We have been told by the under secretary that the project file has been sent to the Kerala Rail Development Corporation (KRDCL), seeking its opinion on the petitions for the extension of the line to Vizhinjam Port,” said Jijo.
Land acquisition in the area spread over a distance of 10 km between Kalady and Perumbavoor stations requires about `103 crore. In the areas beyond Perumbavoor station, in the 39-km area falling in Kothamangalam and Muvattupuzha taluks, the SIAS report has been prepared, but public hearings for land acquisition are yet to be held.
About Rs 410 crore is required to acquire land for this stretch of the track. It is estimated that a total of `513 crore is required to complete the land acquisition for Sabari Railway in Ernakulam district.
“The land acquisition up to Ramapuram station has been estimated at about `150 crore. If `513 crore is allocated in the current financial year, Sabari Railway will be able to complete the land acquisition in Ernakulam district, and at least the land acquisition up to the border of Idukki district, which does not have a railway line, can be completed quickly,” Jijo added.
Fund required
Revised estimate for 111-km Angamaly-Erumeli Sabari Rail project: Rs 3,810 crore
Average cost per km for the construction: Rs 34.3 crore
Average cost for land acquisition per km: Rs 10.3 crore
Land acquisition between Kalady and Perumbavoor stations needs Rs 103 crore
39-km area in Kothamangalam and Muvattupuzha taluks:
Rs 410 crore needed for land acquisition
Land acquisition in Ernakulam district needs Rs 513 crore