Kottayam: The Railways has frozen the current year's budget allocation for development activities owing to acute financial crisis. Though several projects in Kerala are set to be hit owing to dearth of funds, the all-important doubling work on the Ernakulam-Thiruvanathapuram route is likely to go unhindered.
The railway authorities have issued directions that only safety maintenance work and unavoidable works should be carried out with the available funds.
However, the crucial railway line doubling work of Kurupanthara-Chingavanam, Ambalapuzha- Haripad and Thiruvananthapuram-Kanyakumari railway sections will continue. Of the Rs 88 crore granted for Kuruppanthara-Chingavanam track only Rs 25 crore had been spent so far.
In the last budget the Centre had allocated Rs 319 crore for railway development in Kerala. Of this Rs 277 core is meant for doubling of railway track and of this only Rs 80 crore has been spent so far.
The unutilized funds have been taken back by the Railways.
Red category
Fund allocation has been frozen mainly for long-running and slow-moving projects.
Many works, including those pertaining to modernization of stations and tracks, development of yards and changing the signal system have been dropped.
The projects for which funds won't be allocated include the doubling of Ambalappuzha-Ernakualam line, works on Nemom Terminal, Ernakulam-Shoranur third track and two platforms at Kochuveli Station and the final-stage work of the Ernakulam pit line.
The proposed Sabari Rail and Guruvayur-Thirunavaya railway track too won't be allocated money.
