The Railway Board has decided to withdraw the allocated Rs 100 crores earmarked in the Union budget 2023-24 for the Angamaly-Sabarimala Sabari rail project.
Citing the Southern Railway's postponement of the project four years ago, the Railway Board stated that it is unlikely the funds could be utilized for the project, leading to their withdrawal.
Last month, the Southern Railway sought a consent letter from the state requesting them to contribute 50 per cent of the revised estimate for the project. However, the state government failed to reply to this letter.
According to Kerala Rail Development Corporation Ltd (KRDCL), the revised cost of implementing the project has risen to Rs 3,810.69 crore. Meanwhile, the state had earlier agreed to share the project cost and had set aside Rs 2000 crores through Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB).
