Lok Sabha Question No. 3667 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-17
Subject: Construction of Railway Line to Sabarimala
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Anto  Antony

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3667 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17.03.2021

## CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY LINE TO SABARIMALA

3667.  SHRI ANTO ANTONY:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  using  latest  technology  to  construct railway  line  to  Sabarimala  without  eviction  of  people  through  land acquisition and without causing environmental damage;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the copy of the final project report in this regard;
- (c) whether  the  Railways  has  prepared  any  final  blue  print  to  extent railway line from Kottayam to Erumeli on one side and from Punalar to Erumeli on the other side and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the current status of construction of railway line to Sabarimala?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMERCE & INDUSTRY AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

(SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

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

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION  NO.  3667  BY    SHRI  ANTO  ANTONY  TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK SABHA  ON  17.03.2021  REGARDING    CONSTRUCTION  OF  RAILWAY  LINE  TO SABARIMALA

(a), (b) & (d):  All New Rail Line projects involve land acquisition. There is no technology  available  to  construct  a  new  Railway  line  without  acquisition  of land along the alignment. Angamali-Sabarimala new rail line was included in the  Railway  Budget  for  1997-98  at  a  cost  of ` 550  crore.  Total  length  of  the project is 116 Km. Latest anticipated cost of the project is ` 2815 crore.

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. The final project report can be prepared only after Final Location Survey is completed.

Consequently, in this project, work on Angamali-Kaladi (7 Km) and long lead  works  on  Kaladi-Perumbavoor  (10  Km)  have  been  taken  up.  However, further  works  on  this  project  could  not  be  taken  forward  due  to  protests  by local people against land acquisition and fixing of alignment of the line, court cases  filed  against  the  project  and  inadequate  response  from  the  State Government of Kerala.

This  has  delayed  the  execution  of  the  above  project  and  as  a  result, project cost has increased from ` 550 crore in 1997 to ` 1566 crore (including land  cost  of ` 719  crore)  in  2011  and  further  to ` 2,815  crore  (including  land cost  of ` 965  crore)  in  2017. As  taking  forward of this project showing 512%

increase in project cost solely with Railway Funds was not possible, Railway had requested Government of Kerala vide letters dated 06.09.2011, 22.12.2011, and 08.10.2012 to share atleast 50% cost of the project.

Government of Kerala vide their letter dated 27.11.2015 agreed to share 50% cost of the project. Government of Kerala had also identified this project for  execution  under  Joint  Venture  Scheme  with  Ministry  of  Railways  and therefore,  an  MoU  was  also  signed  on  01.09.2016.    Unfortunately,  within  a year, the State Government vide letter dated 15.11.2016 withdrew their own consent to share 50% cost of the project.

However, given the  public  demand,  Railways  again  conducted  detailed deliberations  on  the  feasibility  of  taking  forward  this  project  vis-à-vis  the availability  of  funds.  Due  to  significant  deficit,  it  was  again  decided  by Railways  in  December,  2017  that  the  project  should  be  undertaken  on  cost sharing basis.

Government of Kerala was again requested vide letters dated 06.02.2018 and 01.03.2018 for their consent to share atleast 50% cost of the project for the benefit of the State.  There has been no positive response to this offer. As the State Government has withdrawn its own previously sanctioned consent to share 50% cost of the project and is not cooperating in resolving the various obstructions,  Railways  has  decided  to  freeze  further  expenditure  on  this project temporarily, and keep execution of works in abeyance, in September, 2019.

Ministry of Railways vide letter No. 93/W-I/Survey/SR/11 dated 11.01.2020 advised Government of Kerala that it is not feasible for Railways to take the project  forward  solely  with  Railway  funds,  and  State  Government  of  Kerala was again requested to share  the cost of  development  of  Railway network in ...3/-

the State. This will help Railways to provide the much required rail link for the travelling needs of local people and pilgrims to the Holy Shrine.

After  long  persuasion,  recently  Government  of  Kerala  vide  letter  dated 07.01.2021 has conveyed their decision to share 50% of the total project cost ( ` 2815  crore)  of  Angamali  -  Sabarimala  Railway  project  through  Kerala Infrastructure  Investment  Fund  Board  (KIIFB),  subject  to  the  condition  that operation and maintenance of the track shall be done by Ministry of Railways while  the  stations  along  the  route    will  be  developed  by  a  Special  Purpose Vehicle (SPV) (through public private partnership route) and the net revenue realized by the SPV will be shared on a 50:50 basis between State Government and Ministry of Railways, after offsetting the cost of Operation & Maintenance (O&M) as agreed to by Railways. Zonal Railway has been advised to get the Estimate Revised from Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) for taking further action in this regards.

Average  annual  Budget  allocation  for  Infrastructure  &  safety  works, falling fully/partly in the State of Kerala, during 2014-19 has increased to ` 950 crore,  from ` 372  crore  (during  2009-14).  Thus,  the  average  annual  budget allocation  for  2014-19  is  155%  more  than  average  annual  Budget  allocation during 2009-14. Total proposed Budget Estimate (BE) outlay for Infrastructure & safety works, falling,  fully/partly  in  the  State  of  Kerala  in  2021-22  is ` 871 crore, which is 134% more than average annual Budget outlay of 2009-14.

During  2014-19,  89  Km  sections  (29  Km  Gauge  Conversion  and  60  Km doubling)  falling  fully/partly  in  the  State  of  Kerala  has  been  commissioned, which is  68% more than the, commissioning during 2009-14 (53 Km). During 2019-20,  18  Km  doubling  has  been  commissioned  which  is  70%  more  than average commissioning during 2009-14 (10.6 Km/per year).

(c):  Survey  for  Erumeli  to  Thiruvananthpuram  via  Punalur  (145  Km)  new  line was completed in 2013-14. Project could not be taken forward being financially unviable.  There  is  no  survey/proposal  under  consideration  for  Kottayam  to Erumeli new line.

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