New Delhi, Mar 24 (PTI) Amid mounting protests against the ambitious SilverLine project, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken a positive stand on the project and expressed hope that required approvals from the central government will come at a faster pace.
Vijayan met the prime minister on Thursday and discussed about the semi high-speed rail project, which is being vehemently opposed by various political parties, including the Congress and the BJP, as well as by local people in some parts of the state.
The prime minister listened to us with extreme interest and his responses were healthy. Generally, the discussion was good, Vijayan said at a briefing in the national capital.
“I am happy to say that Prime Minister has a positive stand on the project… I hope today’s meeting with the prime minister will help in getting speedier approvals for the project,” the chief minister said.
Further, Vijayan said the prime minister assured that he will discuss the project with the railway minister.
Against the backdrop of the BJP in Kerala also opposing the project, Vijayan exuded confidence that he does not think there will be political issues at the central government level in relation to clearances for the project, adding that the prime minister listened to the issues with an open mind.
“With respect to development of the state, there was discussion about completing projects and (we) went into details of such projects… no political approach was shown by the prime minister during the discussion,” Vijayan said.
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) tweeted pictures of the meeting between Modi and Vijayan.
In a tweet, Vijayan said Modi has offered all possible support for the project.
The meeting also came on a day when many MPs from Kerala were allegedly manhandled by the Delhi police when they were protesting against the SilverLine project and the issue was also raised in the Lok Sabha.
The SilverLine project, also known as the K-Rail project, would cover a 530-kilometre stretch from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod in the state.
It would be developed by K-Rail, a joint venture of the Kerala government and the Ministry of Railways.
To a query about survey stones being laid as markings for land that could be used for the SilverLine project, Vijayan said the stones were being laid for the purpose of conducting social impact study of the project and emphasised that those do not mean any kind of restrictions on the land.
Only after conducting a study, a decision will be taken on acquiring land for the project.
The issue of laying survey stones for marking land has triggered a major controversy in Kerala and many local people are protesting the move.
Claiming that there are political conspiracies and fake narratives being spread against the project, Vijayan said those against it seem to believe that no development is required in the state.
On Thursday, United Democratic Front (UDF) MPs from Kerala alleged that they were “attacked and manhandled” by the Delhi police personnel during their protest here against Silverline project.
The Delhi police, however, denied the allegations, saying its personnel did not manhandle any parliamentarian.
Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha soon after the Question Hour, Congress member K Suresh said a total of 12 MPs, including women parliamentarians, had started their protest march from Vijay Chowk at 10.45 am on Thursday when Delhi police personnel came and “blocked them without any provocation”.
In Kerala, intensifying its protest against the SilverLine proejct, the BJP on Thursday claimed that its activists symbolically laid a survey stone in the compound of Vijayan’s official residence in Thiruvananthapuram, a contention which is denied by the police.
Meanwhile, noted environmental activist Medha Patkar criticised the Left government for pushing the project. PTI RAM TGB MR
