New Delhi: Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has slammed the Kerala government over its “lack of cooperation” on a line that will bring the shrine city of Sabarimala on the rail network and said the delay has increased the project cost by 512 per cent.

Currently, there is no direct railway line connecting other towns to Sabarimala. The nearest railway stations are at Kottayam, Thiruvalla and Chenganur which are about 90 kilometres from Sabarimala.

Goyal has said in a letter to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan that the "lack of cooperation" on the part of the state government on the Angamali-Sabarimala 111-km line project has "badly delayed its execution".

This project was included in Railway Budget 1997-98 at a cost of Rs 550 crore against which part estimate for long lead items amounting to Rs 517.70 crore including Rs. 58.76 crore as the land cost of the entire project, was sanctioned in May 2006.

"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 non-cooperation from the state government of Kerala.

"This has badly delayed the execution of the project and as a result, project cost has increased exponentially from Rs 550 crore in 1997 to Rs 1,566 crore in 2017," he said.

He also said that as taking forward of this project showing 512 per cent increase in project cost solely with railway funds was not possible, the Centre requested the state in three letters in 2011 and 2012 to share at least 50 per cent cost of the project.

In 2015, the government of Kerala agreed to share 50 per cent cost of the project.

"Unfortunately, within a year, the State Government in 2016 withdrew their own consent to share 50% cost of the project. This sudden change in policy was surprising and against the interest of developing Railways in Kerala, and brought into question the State Government's commitment to this important project," Goyal said.

Again in 2017, a request was made to the state government to cooperate, Goyal said, adding that due to their "inaction" in September 2019, the work was kept in "abeyance" on the project.

A new dawn on the horizon for the Railways

Goyal also stressed the need for support of the private sector to accelerate the development of the railways while dismissing speculations of privatisation of the railway network.

"We want to end the era of slow-moving trains by making way for the fast speed-driven MEMU and electric trains, like the trains being run in suburban Mumbai (with the help of private sector)," he said while advocating for reforms in the railways.

He said the Railways want to attract an investment of Rs 50 lakh crore in the next 12 years to expand the facilities in passenger and goods trains through modernisation.

"This big investment is impossible through the railway and government budgets. So, the way out is to work on a public-private partnership (PPP) model," he said.

Allaying fears of privatisation of the railway network, Goyal said, "The Indian Railways is a treasure of the country and its people. This will continue and reins of the railways will remain with the government."

Goyal said tenders have been issued recently for the infrastructure development and revival of facilities at five railway stations in the country under the PPP model.

(With inputs from PTI)