A meeting of the Kanhangad Nagara Vikasana Karma Samithi, convened here on Tuesday, decided to pressure the State and Union governments to launch works on the 90-km Kanhangad-Kaniyooru rail line, which will provide people from north Kerala easy access to Bengaluru.
Participants of the meeting demanded that the State bear 50 per cent of the project cost as stipulated by the Centre. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, citing the present financial crunch, had expressed the government’s inability in meeting the 50 per cent cost share. However, he had agreed to provide land for the project free of cost. The Union government had made it mandatory that Kerala and Karnataka governments bear 50 per cent of the cost incurred for the new rail line in their respective areas
The meeting decided to send an all-party delegation, including local MP, MLAs, and leaders of political parties, to meet the Chief Minister, and Minister in charge of Railways in the State Aryadan Mohammed.
It was decided to submit a memorandum to Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala during his visit to the district on April 17, the Samithi said.
