THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Union minister V Muraleedharan said the state government approach to the proposed SilverLine rail project was dubious.
“The railway ministry is not only unwilling to be a guarantor of the huge loan the state government is planning to avail for the project, but it is of the opinion that the project in the proposed fashion is unwarranted. The railway board clarified that high-speed trains can be run along the rails in Kerala by making further upgradations in the existing rails,” the minister told media here on Saturday.
Obviously, the question now raised were about the reasons for the state government’s over enthusiasm in availing loans worth Rs 34,000 crore. He asked whether the state government has any idea about how it is going to pay back the huge loan. “Such large projects need environmental impact study. There can’t be one common norm for all such projects,” he said.
Muraleedharan said there were so many reasons to suspect the motive behind such projects. Why should the government be so particular about a mega project when the state is already under the grip of natural disasters, he asked.
Muraleedharan added that he would never support the project as it was against the interest of the people of Kerala.
Meanwhile, state minister for ports and railways, V Abdul Rahman said there was no need to shelve the mega project. “The Union government has sought some clarifications, which the state is ready to give. There is no question of shelving the project,” he said.
