Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K. Sudhakaran on Saturday said the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government’s nascent K-Rail (SilverLine) semi-high-speed rail project was embroiled in nepotism and corruption.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has eroded public trust in the integrity of K-Rail by nominating the next of kin of a powerful clique in the Communist Party India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] to senior positions in the corporation, he said.
For one, he has appointed the CPI(M) MP John Brittas’s wife, a middle-level railway employee, as general manager, K-Rail, rejecting eligible candidates. A relative of CPI(M) leader Anavar Nagappan is K-Rail company secretary. Managing director of K-Rail Ajith Kumar has leased his wife’s house at an exaggerated rent as official quarters, Mr. Sudhakaran alleged.
Mr. Vijayan has turned K-Rail into an entity to extend patronage to select CPI(M) families, flouting legal and ethical guidelines. He should clarify technical expert Asok Kumar Verma’s revelation that Kerala’s detailed project report for K-Rail was a fake document.
Mr. Sudhakaran challenged Mr. Vijayan to hold a referendum on K-Rail.
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