Kerala has got a windfall in Union Budget with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman providing substantial allocations for the development of the NH 66 corridor, Kochi Metro Rail Phase II and a modern fishing harbour.
The big-ticket announcements which have surprised the ruling Left Democratic Front and Opposition United Democratic Front alike are seen as part of the BJP-led NDA’s strategy to woo voters in the poll-bound State.
A sum of ₹65,000 crore has been allocated for the development of 1,100 km of NH 66 corridor. This includes the 600 km of the proposed Mumbai-Kanyakumari corridor through Kerala.
The proposed corridor is expected to spur development, generate employment and improve connectivity between towns and municipalities. The State will also benefit from the Kollam-Madurai corridor.
The Kochi Metro got ₹1,957.05 crore for the 11.2-km-long phase-two extension to Kakkanad that will take off from Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium and terminate at the Infopark.
Kochi will also see the development of a modern fishing harbour as ‘hub of economic activity’ along with the other four fishing harbours in the country. The conversion of the fishing harbour is expected to boost the export potential of the fisheries sector.
In the economic front, the State will benefit from 41% share of taxes as per the 15th Finance Commission recommendation. This will enable Kerala to potentially borrow an additional ₹9,000 crore annually, on top of ₹26,288.49 crore its already entitled.
‘MetroLite’ and ‘MetroNeo’ technologies announced to provide metro rail systems at much lesser cost with similar experience in Tier-2 cities and peripheral areas of Tier-1 cities will help the launch of the Light Metro in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode.
The 529.45-km semi-high-speed rail SilverLine from Kochuveli to Kasaragod at a cost ₹63,941-crore has failed to find a mention in the Budget. Official sources, however, said the ambitious project figured in the National Rail Plan projects to be completed by 2030.
