User:Sabari Railway line

Sabari Railway Line

Why Sabari Raiway Corporation Formation is the requirement of people of Kerala?

117 KMs long Angamali- Sabarimala new railway line project has been sanctioned in the year 1998 by the Government of India, for providing railway stations to Kaladi, Perumbavoor, Odakali, Kothamangalam, Muvattupuzha, Vazhakulam, Thodupuzha, Karimkunnam, Ramapuram, Pala, Erattupeetta, Kanjirapally and Erumeli. Since Angamali- Erumeli, Sabari railway line provides railway facility to Sabarimala pilgrims and number of pilgrims visiting Sabarimala temple are more than the total population of Kerala, this railway line was named as Sabarimala railway line.

Kerala government has started the land acquisition for the construction of this Sabari railway line project and established special Thahasildhar offices at Perumbavoor and Pala in 2006 and at Muvattupuzha in 2010 for the land acquisition of Sabari railway line. Railway and revenue department has conducted joint survey for the land acquisition of this railway line, laid boundary stone for the acquired land and 4(1) notification for land acquisition up to proposed Ramapuram railway station in Kottayam district. 90% of railway line construction up to Kaladi railway station (ie 7 KM) has been completed in 2010.

Revenue department, Government of Kerala has completed all formalities of land acquisition in Chelamattom village ( in 19-8-2008), Perumbavoor village (in 19-8-2008), Koovapady village (in 19-8-2008), Vengoor west village (in 19-8-2008), Rayamangalam village ( in 19-8-2008), Asmannor village (in 19-8-2008) and Muvattupuzha village (in 28-10-2011) and declared land value of acquired land for this railway line. But land price distribution to the land owners in these villages were not happened due to the non availability of fund from Railway Ministry, Government of India. Even though Railway board has approved the revised estimate of Angamali- Perumbavoor reach of this railway line (Rs.203 crore), has not given any fund for the completion of revised estimate approved reach.

But instead of giving fund for revised estimate approved reach of Sabari railway line, Railway board has written to Kerala government that without 50 % of cost sharing by the state government, they could not allocate any further fund to Sabari railway project. Kerala government has replied to Railway board that state government has not enough funds to share cost of Sabari railway line. With out public pressure, uncertainty about the construction of Sabari railway line will not be changed.

Sabarimala pilgrims as well as the people of Ernakulam,Idukki and Kottayam district eagerly waiting for Sabari railway line construction. Idukki one of the district has not any railway station will get railway connectivity and two railway stations through Sabari railway line. Wood based industry and rice based industries concentrated in Perumbavoor-Kalady area, tourist destinations of Ernakulam, Idukki and Kottayam districts, Bharanaganam and 6 Municipalities in these districts will get railway connectivity through Sabari railway line.

After laying boundary stone for Sabari railway line and government notifications for land acquisition, land owners could not sell or pledge their property for the education or marriage or treatment. We could not cultivate rubber or coconut in their land. Land owners are not getting any NOC’s from Local government to construct house or building in their land. Land owners are struggling for last 17 years due to Sabari railway line project and became the victims of this ambitious project.

If Kerala government could not bear the 50 % of Sabari railway line construction in accordance to the demand of Railway Board, it can establish Sabari Railway Corporation (SPV) in the model of Konkkan Railway Corporation or Kochi Metro Railway Corporation. Since majority of Sabari pilgrims are coming from outside of Kerala (Andra Pradeesh, Telungana, Tami Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra), Sabari Railway Corporation can mobilize share of fund from these state too. Formation of Sabari Railway corporation may speed up the sanctioning of 2nd phase of Sabari railway line ie Erumeli- Punaloor railway line and thereby make Sabari railway line as a busy railway line to Tamil Nadu too. When 3rd phase of Sabari Railway line ie Punaloor- Thiruvanathapuram materialize, Sabari railway line become a parallel railway line to from Angamali to Thiruvananthapuram, passing through the half length of Kerala state and its length will be equal to the total length of railway line in Thiruvananthapuram railway division. Formation of additional railway division in Kerala through Sabari Railway line will speed up the formation of a Kerala based Railway Zone also.