Kerala expedites ₹64,000-cr semi high-speed rail project

The Kerala Government has planned to give a massive push to the mega infrastructure projects initiated in the first term, including the ₹64,000-crore semi-high speed rail project connecting Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod and the 610-km waterways project connecting 11 districts. Harilal K N, member of Kerala State Planning Board and associate fellow in Centre for Development Studies informed that there are various unfinished projects and the government is taking up new projects. The government is also keen to clear the completion of GAIL's 450-km Kochi-Mangaluru natural gas pipeline and restarting the IOC's ₹750-crore LPG import terminal at Puthuvype. The government is keen to invite private investments which included getting Japanese auto major Nissan to open its global digital hub in Kerala and giving the nod for city gas distribution in several cities in the state through Indian Oil-Adani Gas Pvt Ltd. The state had last year earned praise from Nitin Gadkari for its decisive intervention to resolve issues of land acquisition in national highways projects in Kerala. For the semi-high speed rail project, Kerala is likely to rope in private players to pick up a 40 per cent stake. The MD of Kerala Waterways Infrastructure Ltd (KWIL), V J Kurian, informed that the KWIL is implementing the ambitious 610-km-long waterways project.