New Delhi | Support for dedicated rare earth corridors and development of turtle trails are among the announcements related to Kerala in Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's Budget speech on Sunday.
Kerala will go to the polls in the coming months, and there were expectations that there could be key announcements for the state in the 2026-27 Budget.
A scheme for Rare Earth Permanent Magnets was launched in November 2025.
"We now propose to support the mineral-rich states of Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to establish dedicated Rare Earth Corridors to promote mining, processing, research and manufacturing," Sitharaman, who presented her ninth consecutive Budget, said in her speech.
Among other proposals, the minister mentioned that India has the potential and opportunity to offer world-class trekking and hiking experiences.
"We will develop ecologically sustainable (i) Mountain trails in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir; Araku Valley in the Eastern Ghats and Podhigai Malai in the Western Ghats. (ii) Turtle Trails along key nesting sites in the coastal areas of Odisha, Karnataka and Kerala; and (iii) Bird watching trails along the Pulikat lake in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu," she said.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said that a disquieting sense of deja vu pervades the finance minister's speech today.
"For a state that contributes so robustly to the nation's forex reserves, skilled workforce, and soft power, Kerala appears to be entirely invisible in the Centre's fiscal vision. A 'Budget of Invisible Kerala' in an election year is a message in itself. #UnionBudget2026," he said in a post on X.
Malappuram (Kerala) | Despite Kerala not being included in the high-speed rail corridor announced in the Union Budget, 'Metroman' E Sreedharan on Sunday said he would go ahead with survey work for a proposed high-speed rail line in the state.
Sreedharan had recently said that he had spoken to the Union Railway Minister, who assured him of support for a high-speed rail project from Thiruvananthapuram to Kannur.
Speaking to reporters here, Sreedharan said he would open an office for the project on Monday and begin work without waiting for formal orders.
"We have decided not to wait for an order and waste time. The monsoon begins in Kerala by June-July, and survey work cannot be carried out then. The office will start functioning on Monday. It may not be a big office, but people can come and work," he said.
He said around 10-12 people have been selected for the work, with most of them employed on-site and some online.
"We have decided to proceed quickly with the preparation of the detailed project report," he said.
Sreedharan said the proposed high-speed rail project would be a joint venture between the Centre and the state government.
"The Railway Ministry has said it will implement the rail line. The state government will come into the picture once the report is ready, and it will be sent to them for their opinion," he said.
He said he had met Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on January 16 and that subsequent communication with his office indicated that an order would be issued soon.
Sreedharan said he was not expecting an announcement on the high-speed rail project for Kerala in the Union Budget.
"The Railway Minister had told me that it would not come in the Budget. The seven projects mentioned in the Budget are bullet train projects. We do not need a bullet train here," he said.
He said the high-speed rail corridors announced in the Budget had been under consideration for several years.
"The train we are proposing here will have a maximum speed of 200 km per hour, with an operational speed of around 180 km per hour," he said.
Sreedharan said he was not concerned about any delay from the Railway Ministry in sanctioning the project for Kerala.
He also said he had held discussions with the Managing Director of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, which would be entrusted with preparing the detailed project report.
He estimated the cost of preparing the DPR at Rs 13.1 crore.
He pointed out that the state government had earlier spent around Rs 100 crore on the DPR for the K-Rail project, which is no longer under consideration.
Sreedharan said cases registered following protests against the K-Rail project should be withdrawn.
"The first thing the government should do is withdraw the cases. That will create goodwill among the people," he said.
He said he would meet local residents and take them into confidence before starting survey work so that the process was not affected.
Sreedharan said he would act as the principal advisor for the project with full powers of a managing director.
While Sreedharan maintains that the high-speed rail line will be sanctioned by the Railway Ministry, the Kerala government has decided to move forward with a Regional Rapid Transit System from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod.
