Title - Nod for railway line brings fresh hopes

With the ministerial nod for completion of survey of the proposed 145-km railway line between Thalassery and Mysore by Minister for Railways Pawan Kumar Bansal, there is a new lease of life among those who have been soliciting for the line for a few decades now.Minister for Agriculture K.P. Mohanan, who was part of the convoy of ministers from the State who met Mr. Bansal, told The Hindu that the Union Minister had assured them of the fulfillment of the project after viability studies and completion of the survey.The group of State Ministers, led by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, also included Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, Minister for Transport Aryadan Muhammad, Rural Development Minister K.C. Joseph and Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash.The railway line, which was put on the backburner after earlier surveys in 2004 and 2008 respectively, was revived after the Thalassery-Mysore Railway Line Action Council proposed a 145-km track with relatively lesser environmental risks.During a visit to Thalassery by the then Minister of State for Railways K.H. Muniyappa in September last, permission was sanctioned for a feasibility study on the new route.The Minister had promised to consider other technical aspects such as tunnels and forest acquisition to reach at a viable solution. It was for the completion of this study that the present Railway Minister has given the nod.Organisations and groups, which were working relentlessly for the project, were annoyed after the recent Railway Budget failed to make any mention about the proposal. According to M.P. Aravindakshan, chairman of the Rajiv Gandhi Peace Foundation that had launched a mass signature campaign in support of the railway line, the proposed line would be a blessing for people living in the border districts of both the States of Kerala and Karnataka. The proposed line runs through Kuthuparamba, Sivapuram, Thillankeri, Vaniyappara and Nadukani in Karnataka, with minimal disturbance for the reserve forests.