Tue Dec 17 15:30:01 UTC 2024: ## Kerala Rejects Tripartite Agreement, Proceeds with Sabarimala Rail Project Alone
**Thiruvananthapuram, December 17, 2024** – The Kerala state government has reversed its earlier commitment to a tripartite agreement for the Sabarimala rail project, opting instead to fund the initiative independently through the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB). This decision, announced following a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, will see the state seeking exemption from its borrowing limit for the debt incurred through KIIFB.
The government previously favored a three-way agreement involving the state, the Ministry of Railways, and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). This agreement would have ensured timely payments to the Railways, with the RBI covering Kerala’s share if necessary. However, the state’s rejection of this plan leaves the project’s future potentially reliant on the outcome of a Supreme Court case challenging the Centre’s borrowing restrictions on Kerala.
To mitigate costs and expedite the project, the state will request a phased implementation. The first phase will focus on the Angamaly-Erumeli-Nilakkal stretch, considered a superior alternative to the Centre’s proposed Chengannur-Pamba route. A single railway line will suffice initially, with the possibility of doubling the line in a later phase. The government envisions future expansion to Vizhinjam.
The 110-km Angamaly-Erumeli route, initially proposed in 1997-98, has seen partial land acquisition. The state will now shoulder half the revised project cost of ₹3,810.69 crore. The decision marks a significant commitment to the project, viewed as crucial for boosting the state’s development.
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