Lok Sabha Question No. 43 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-07-18
Subject: Pending Railway Projects in Kerala
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: RAMACHANDRAN MULLAPPALLY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 43 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.07.2018

## PENDING RAILWAY PROJECTS IN KERALA

43. SHRI MULLAPPALLY RAMACHANDRAN:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS  be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken any review of the pending railway projects in Kerala;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the present status of such pending projects along with funds allocated and utilized in the last four years; and
- (d) the  details  of  measures  taken  by  the  Railways  for  early execution of pending projects?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN)

- (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. 43 BY SHRI MULLAPPALLY RAMACHANDRAN TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 18.07.2018 REGARDING PENDING RAILWAY PROJECTS IN KERALA

(a)  to  (c):  Reviewing  of  pending/ongoing  projects  is  a  continuous process taken up with the concerned authorities to assess impediments affecting the projects and their mitigation to expedite progress of the projects. Details of pending/ongoing projects falling fully/partly in Kerala alongwith their present status, funds allocated and  expenditure  incurred  thereon  during  last  four  years  between March 2014 and March 2018  are as under:-

## ( ` in crore)

| S. No.   | Project                       | Latest Estimated cost   | Expenditure incurred during last four years   | Outlay 2018- 19   | Status                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
|----------|-------------------------------|-------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|          | NEW LINE                      |                         |                                               |                   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
| 1.       | Tirunavaya- Guruvayur (35 Km) | 477                     | 15.83                                         | 10                | Government of Kerala has approved alignment in 2009 and Final Location Survey (FLS) for first 8 Km completed. Balance FLS is held up due to public protest.                                                                                                  |
| 2.       | Angamali- Sabrimala (116 Km)  | 2815.62                 | 126.44                                        | 219.90            | On this project, work on Angamali-Kaladi section (7 Km) is in advance stage which, however is stuck for want of 0.6 hectare land. For balance length, land acquisition has delayed due to protest by local people against fixing of alignment of the project |

|    |                                                                  |        |        |       | in Kottayam District. In view of considerable increase in project cost due to abnormal increase in land cost, Government of Kerala has been requested for their consent to share 50% cost of the project.   |
|----|------------------------------------------------------------------|--------|--------|-------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|    | GAUGE CONVERSION                                                 |        |        |       |                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| 1. | Quilon- Tirunelveli- Tiruchendur &Tenkasi- Virudhunagar (357 Km) | 1220   | 362.25 | 48    | Commissioned                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| 2  | Dindigul- Pollachi- Palghat and Pollachi- Coimbatore (225 Km)    | 1120   | 333.23 | 22.87 | Commissioned                                                                                                                                                                                                |
|    | DOUBLING                                                         |        |        |       |                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| 1  | Mulanturutti- Kuruppantara (24 Km)                               | 241.48 | 159.58 | 5.50  | Commissioned                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| 2  | Kuruppantara -Chingavanam (27 Km)                                | 457    | 288.5  | 56.50 | Kuruppantara-Ettumannur (8 Km) was taken up. State Government has to expedite handing over of 7.49 hectare of land to Railways.                                                                             |
| 3  | Chingavanam- Chengannur (27 Km)                                  | 436    | 227.28 | 17.90 | Chengannur- Changanassery section (17 Km) commissioned. Work on balance section taken up.                                                                                                                   |

|   4 | Ernakulam- Kumbalam (7.71 Km)                 |   189 | 1.34   |      6 | In view of considerable increase in project cost due to abnormal rise in cost of land, Government of Kerala was requested for free land and sharing 50% of construction cost of the project. However, State Government has not agreed to Railway's request.   |
|-----|-----------------------------------------------|-------|--------|--------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   5 | Kumbalam- Thuravur (15.59 Km)                 |   253 | 0.9    |  15    | In view of considerable increase in project cost due to abnormal rise in cost of land, Government of Kerala was requested for free land and sharing 50% of construction cost of the project. However, State Government has not agreed to Railway's request.   |
|   6 | Turavur- Ambalapuzha (50 Km)                  |   829 | 0.55   |   5.15 | The consent of State Government for cost sharing and providing free land is awaited.                                                                                                                                                                          |
|   7 | Ambalapuzha- Haripad (18.13 Km)               |   289 | 160.16 |  10.5  | Earthwork, bridges & ballast supply works have been taken up.                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|   8 | Thiruvananth apuram- Kanniyakumari (86.50 Km) |  1432 | 0.92   | 110    | Earthwork, bridges & ballast supply works have been taken up.                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|   9 | Shoranur- Ernakulam (107 Km)                  |  1518 | …      |   0.1  | New project included in the Budget 2018-19.                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |

(d):  To  expedite  completion  of  projects,  a  number  of  initiatives  have been  taken  to  speed  up  the  works  like  increased  allocation  of  funds, funding  through  loan  from  Institutions  like  Life  Insurance  Corporation, execution  of  projects  through  Special  Purpose  Vehicles,  etc.  Besides these, to reduce delays on account of land acquisition, security issues and  forestry  clearances  etc,  meetings  with  State  Officials  at  various levels are held from time to time.

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