Thiruvananthapuram: Amid public outrage against the Kerala government’s proposed K-Rail project, the Congress on Wednesday alleged that “money” was the only “motive” behind the project for Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Speaking to media, State Congress president K.Sudhakaran said that “commission” was the “driving force” behind all such major infrastructure projects in the state for the chief minister.
“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,” said Sudhakaran.
“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,” he added.
He asked the Kerala unit of the BJP to prevail upon Prime Minister to see that the project is not given the clearance.
“They should do that and not engage in protests because they can use the service of Metroman Sreedharan to prevail upon the Centre,” said Sudhakaran.
As in the past, Wednesday also witnessed angry protesters pulling out the marking stones being laid as part of the project in few places.
CPI-M state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said that it’s not a necessity that marking stones have to be laid as even without doing that things can go forward.
“This project will go forward as planned,” said Balakrishnan.
At the weekly cabinet meeting this meeting, there was no discussion on K-Rail and the ongoing protests, as per sources.
If completed, it will see a 529.45 km corridor connecting Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod with high speed trains covering the distance in around four hours.
As per NITI Aayog, it might cost Rs 1.24 lakh crore when it nears completion in 2025, while the detailed project report on this published by the Pinarayi Vijayan government says it will cost ARs 63,940 crore K-Rail project.
–IANS