Kerala: Motive Behind CM Vijayan's Silver Line Rail Project Is Commission, Says Congress

The state Congress chief also asked the Kerala unit of the BJP to prevail upon Prime Minister to see that the project is not given the clearance.

Kerala: Motive Behind CM Vijayan's Silver Line Rail Project Is Commission, Says Congress (Image: Twitter)

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing protest against Kerala government’s proposed Silver Line Rail Corridor, the Congress on Saturday hit out at chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan saying money was the only motive behind the project.

Speaking to the mediapersons, State Congress chief K Sudhakaran said that ‘commission’ was the ‘driving force’ behind the major infrastructure projects in the state for CM Vijayan.

"For K-Rail, Vijayan is eyeing 10 per cent commission and so is the case with all new major projects. On TV, we only get to see innocent people worrying that their land and house where they lived all these years will be gone for this project," news agency IANS quoted Sudhakaran as saying.

READ | Kerala: Cong Suggests Town To Town Flight Service Amid Protests Against Silver Line Rail Project

"Let the Vijayan government conduct a survey for this project. If the people want it, we will also support the project. Nowhere in the country is there a more arrogant Chief Minister than Vijayan," Sudhakaran added.

The state Congress chief also asked the Kerala unit of the BJP to prevail upon Prime Minister to see that the project is not given the clearance.

However, CPI-M state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said that it is not mandatory to lay the marking stones before the construction work begins, adding that without that work can be taken forward.  "This project will go forward as planned," said Balakrishnan.

READ | Kerala: Protest Against Silver Line Rail Project Continues, Vijayan Rejects Agitation As 'Anti-Development'

Meanwhile, there were several agitations on Wednesday with the angry protesters pulling out the marking stones being laid as a part of the project.

According to IANS sources, there was no discussion overt the project in the weekly cabinet meeting.   

As per NITI Aayog, the project might cost Rs 1.24 lakh crore when it nears completion in 2025, while the detailed project report on this published by CM Pinarayi Vijayan government says it will cost Rs 63,940 crore.

If completed, the state will see a 529.45 km corridor connecting Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod with high-speed trains covering the distance in around four hours.

Kerala BJP Chief Attends Protest

Kerala BJP President K Surendran attended the protest against the Silver line project in Cheruvallimukku on Wednesday.

"Till today, there is no sanction for land acquisition or survey. We are protesting for the poor. There is a huge protest in Thiruvananthapuram tomorrow," the BJP chief said as quoted by news agency ANI.

Kerala BJP President K Surendran attends the protest against the K Silver line project in Cheruvallimukku

Till today there is no sanction for land acquisition or survey. We are protesting for the poor. There is a huge protest in Thiruvananthapuram tomorrow: K Surendran pic.twitter.com/tqhE5tuD1b

— ANI (@ANI) March 23, 2022