The Centre is ready to spend the money required for development of rail infrastructure in Kerala. The only demand Railways have put forth is the timely handover of the land required by the State government, Minister of State for Railways V. Somanna has said.
He was speaking at a function here on Tuesday in connection with the Union Budget.
The Railway Budget has earmarked a record outlay of ₹3,042 crore for the financial year 2025-26, which is eight times higher than the average Budget outlay from 2009 to 2014, during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) period.
“We are committed to improving the rail network and connectivity to contribute to the development of the State. Since 2014, 125 km of new tracks has been constructed in Kerala. There are eight ongoing projects (new tracks) of 419 km at a cost of ₹12,350 crore. In addition, 35 stations are being redeveloped as Amrit stations at a cost of ₹2,560 crore. For further development, land is required and the State should expedite land acquisition,” he said.
The Union Minister said ‘medical tourism and heal in India’, promoted in partnership with the private sector, and easier visa norms in the Budget would benefit Kerala, as Kerala is considered a hub of Ayurveda and these initiatives will improve the tourist economy and generate more jobs here.
The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana scheme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide LPG connections to below the poverty-line families would benefit about 3.7 lakh women in Kerala next fiscal with the Budget earmarking ₹12,100 crore for the scheme.
Similarly, IIT Palakkad, started in 2015, would be upgraded as per the Budget announcement. For start-ups, the credit guarantee shall be revised from ₹10 crore to ₹20 crore and this would help the start-up ecosystem emerging in Kerala, he added.
BJP State president K. Surendran spoke at the function.
Published – February 18, 2025 09:22 pm IST