Kerala’s SilverLine Rail Project: If not now, then when? asks CM Pinarayi Vijayan  

By Express News Service

KOCHI: ‘If not now, when?’ This was Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s plea on Thursday as he urged everybody who needs improvement within the state to again the federal government’s showpiece Rs 64,000 crore semi high-speed rail mission.The Chief Minister additionally countered the UDF-led opposition’s demand that the 530-km SilverLine be first mentioned within the Assembly earlier than implementing the mission saying “forgetfulness is not good” saying the mission was mentioned within the Kerala meeting when it was first conceived itself.”‘We have already lost decades due to opposition to development projects. If we stop this project, it will pull us back by several decades, affecting our future generations. And this will be a big injustice that we will be doing to our children,” the CM instructed an almost 350-odd chosen invitees from numerous strata of the society on the authorities’s ‘Janapaksham’ programme held on the TDM Hall in Kochi.Pinarayi mentioned the federal government’s job is to not cease a mission as a result of opposition from some quarters however to take steps which are aimed on the standing for the way forward for the state. “That’s a government’s job and the responsibility,” he mentioned.On the opposition demand for a particular session of the meeting to debate the SilverLine mission, applied by the Kerala Railway Development Corporation (Ok-Rail), Pinarayi mentioned the mission was mentioned within the House when it was conceived itself, however through the LDF’s first time period. “It’s natural for people to forget things after some time. But this is not something that should not have been easily forgotten,” the CM mentioned, including that the vehement opposition for the multi-crore mission now possibly as a result of it occurred earlier than the final elections. “The project was first discussed with MLAs where UDF leaders were also present. MLAs had also come up with some doubts. So, this is not something they are hearing for the first time,” Pinarayi mentioned. The CM mentioned even adjournment movement was additionally moved within the state meeting at the moment, and the federal government replied to the adjournment movement too. “This adjournment motion was moved not by the ruling front, but by the opposition side. So, from the beginning, we are going ahead by taking the MLAs into confidence. We don’t have anything to hide from anyone,” he mentioned.Pinarayi additionally allayed fears that the embankments of the SilverLine would trigger flooding saying25% of the railway line can be by means of pillars or tunnels. Further, there will probably be an overbridge or an underpass after each 500 meters or so. “So, there’s no substance in the talk that Kerala will be divided into two due to the SilverLine project,” he mentioned, referring to Metroman E Sreedharan’s assertion on this regard.On the fears of flooding, he mentioned the hydrographic survey for the mission has considered floods in Kerala within the final 100 years, moreover high-tides, low-tides prior to now.  He additionally argued that the Railway’s present mission cannot be utilised for high-speed rail as there are 623 curves from Thiruvanthapuram-Kasaragod, and it is not potential to straighten the curves contemplating the density of the inhabitants within the state.Industries Minister P Rajeeve, who spoke on the event, identified the sacrifices made by the folks for the event tasks of Kerala. “When Cochin Shipyard was built, even cemeteries were given away for the project. Now the port is building India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier,” he mentioned.