Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K. Sudhakaran asserted here on Tuesday that the Congress would resist K-Rail (SilverLine) on a “war footing”.
“If required, Congress workers will uproot the markers placed by the government to demarcate the alignment of the proposed semi-high-speed railway line,” he said. The party was willing to run the gauntlet of risking a law and order issue to thwart the “anti-people” project.
Asked if removing the markers would be a symbolic protest, Mr. Sudhakaran retorted, “A symbolic protest against [Chief Minister] Pinarayi [Vijayan] is pointless”. He alleged that Mr. Vijayan was keen on the nearly ₹2-lakh-crore project for the sizeable commission involved.
Mr. Vijayan had learnt the basics of harvesting commission by contracting the Canadian firm SNC-Lavalin to upgrade hydel power projects in Kerala as Power Minister. Mr. Vijayan had sacrificed the State’s interests at the altar of private profiteering, Mr. Sudhakaran alleged.
The government had contracted a “blacklisted” Japanese firm selling outdated rail technology to execute SilverLine. The government hand-picked the consultancy tasked to conduct the social and environmental impact study without any global tender. “The agency would probably report to Mr. Vijayan’s liking,” he said.
Mr. Sudhakaran said the number of families who would lose their homes, land, and livelihood due to SilverLine was just the tip of the iceberg. K-Rail would freeze all development within a two-km radius of the steeply high railway embankment. “The government would ban buildings or expansion of roads within the vicinity of the railway line,” he said.
The United Democratic Front was willing to submit an alternate mass rapid transit system if the government would listen. Ideally, the government should link the four airports in Kerala to reduce commute time. Kerala’s debt touched ₹4 lakh crore. K-Rail would push the State’s precarious economy into an irredeemable debt trap.
The Congress would hold public seminars to sensitise the people to the perils of SilverLine. It would visit houses and distribute pamphlets, he said.
