CPI(M), BJP Spar In Rajya Sabha Over K-Rail Silverline Project In Kerala

The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday witnessed an altercation between CPI(M) and BJP MPs with both accusing each other of doing politics over the 529.45 km semi-high-speed K-Rail-Silverline Project in Kerala. The SilverLine project of the CPI(M)-led government in Kerala has been facing massive protests over the survey and marking of the corridor boundary, and is embroiled in political controversy. CPI(M) MP John Brittas alleged in the Upper House of Parliament that Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was doing "petty politics" over the project and the Congress as well as the Muslim League were "hand in glove" over it. On his part, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan accused the Kerala government of "misleading" the people about the K-Rail project and termed the opposition's protest "ill-motivated". There was a serious law and order situation as people protesting the project are beaten black and blue and threatened by the Left government, who are considered to be a supporter of the poor, he claimed. The Upper House was discussing the working of the Ministry of Railways. Participating in the debate, Brittas said, "I have an admiration for the minister. But for the last several weeks, in the context of Kerala, he is cheering for the disruptors and jeering on the performers."

According to him, the Union Cabinet had on December 30, 2015, decided to make the state government a partner in the railway project and collaborate with it. "We signed a JV with the Railways. Now, they are saying we have several issues regarding the project. They should realise that SilverLine is not only owned by the Kerala government but also by the Railway as they have 49 per cent share (in it)," the CPI(M) MP said. He alleged the Railway minister was distancing from the project and "joined the disruptors to defeat it". "His every word is adding fuel to fire and is giving lengthy interviews to the media organisations," Brittas alleged. "Our cardinal goal is to develop semi high-speed and high-speed railway tracks to this country and K-Rail is a semi high-speed project, which he should be supporting. Why you are opposed to it?" he posed. Brittas said Metroman E Sreedharan, as part of a BJP delegation, had briefed him about some environmental issues. "Mr E Sredharan, when he drilled every mountain in the Konkan region, erased hills, filled waterbodies, he was called somebody who tamed nature. Now he is finding lots of environmental issues," he said. Muraleedharan, however, said people of Kerala are on the streets for the last one month protesting the "unilateral" move of the Kerala government over the Silver Line project. 

The state government is "misleading" the people of the state despite the Government of India and Railway Ministry making it clear, that it has not approved the project, the Union minister claimed. "The Railways minister on the floor of the other house (Lok Sabha) has already mentioned that DPR submitted is faulty and need to go under detailed study," he said. Over the protest, Muraleedharan said, "They (people) are being threatened. Every other day, the chief minister and many other ministers are threatening people who are coming on the streets to protest. It is not motivated by any other political party, it's ordinary human beings, I have visited personally." Taking a dig at the Kerala government over the funding of the project, Muraleedharan said the Sabari Railway, a proposed 111-kilometre line from Angamaly to Erumeli, could not be undertaken with the state government citing lack of funds. A cost of Rs 2,815 crore was anticipated for the project, Muraleedharan said. "The Government of Kerala says we do not have money to support Rs 1,000 crore and now they say that we are coming up with Rs one lakh crore. Where is the money going to come from?" he asked. Muraleedharan said the Left had opposed the high-speed rail project between Ahmedabad and Mumbai. "You said high-speed railway is not required. Then how do you come up with such a project in Kerala?"

Congress MP K C Venugopal asked why the CPI(M) was in such a hurry over the SilverLine project in Kerala, when the same party along with the Congress had, in fact, opposed the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project with a steep cost to the public exchequer. "The Maharashtra unit of the CPI(M) is totally opposing that project. Why this hurry of SilverLine project?... 30,000 families are going to be evicted," he said. Citing the ecological and social implications of the project, Venugopal questioned the "bulldozer" approach of the Kerala government to push through with the project. "There is no environmental impact study... The people of Kerala will be in a very difficult situation," he said. The Congres MP also cited the high cost of the SilverLine project and asked where was the money coming from. He urged the Railway minister's urgent intervention on the matter. "It is the minister's duty to clear whether the government has given the sanction for the project, whether DPR has been approved and whether an environmental study has been conducted," he said. Kerala has four airports, Venugopal said adding the state government should concentrate on expanding and building on the existing airports and railway infrastructure. On the issue of the SilverLine project, Binoy Viswam of CPI said the Left Government in Kerala will not forget the rights of the people and concerns around the environment. 

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