Kerala seeks PM's intervention on Sabari rail line

Kerala today sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention on convincing the Railways to bear the entire expenses for laying the Sabari rail line project.
A letter in this regard has been sent to the Prime Minister, a release from the Chief Minister's office said.
The Railways should bear the entire expenses for the Angamally-Sabari railway line, it said.
The proposed line starts from Angamally in Ernakulam district and ends at Erumeli, one of the major Ayyappa pilgrim base camp centres in Kottayam district.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had earlier urged the Prime Minister that the railways should bear the entire expenses for laying the rail line to Sabarimala, the abode of Lord Ayyappa, a pilgrimage centre of national importance.

The Railways had also reacted favourably to the plea, the release said.

However, now the railways has decided that the expenses should be equally met by the state and railways, it said.
In these circumstances, the state has sought the Prime Minister's intervention in the matter.
The sabari rail line construction should be considered a national scheme, Vijayan said.
The Ayyappa shrine is visited by lakhs of devotees from all over the country and abroad each year during the pilgrimage season.