By Sanu George, IANS
Thiruvananthapuram : The way has been cleared for the Sabari railway link to the base of the hilltop Sabarimala shrine in Kerala after discussions between Kerala Minister M. Vijayakumar and top railway officials here Friday.
The rail link to Sabarimala has been a long-standing need of millions of pilgrims who visit the shrine every year.
“It was cleared almost a decade ago, but it did not happen because of various reasons. Today, it was decided that the new 133-km railway line would be called the Angamali-Azhtha link. Close to 450 hectares of land would be acquired in the next three months for the project,” Vijayakumar told reporters here.
Pilgrims visiting the Sabarimala temple have to get down either at Kottayam or Chenganur railway station and then travel nearly three hours by bus to reach the base camp of the temple at Pamba.
“With the new railway line, pilgrims can forego the bus ride and alight at Erumely and then trek to the temple top,” said the minister, who is in charge of the railway portfolio in the state cabinet.
This new line will pass through Ernakulam, Kottayam and Idukki districts.
In the last railway budget, an amount of Rs.100 million was set aside and the state government, in order to see that the project got underway, put land acquisition formalities in the fast-track section.
“As a result, all those who give land will get higher compensation and we will be able to get fresh allocation in the forthcoming railway budget. The project cost fixed at Rs.5.7 billion a decade ago will also be revised,” the minister said.