THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:The state will continue to put pressure on the Centre not to drop the proposed railway coach factory in Palakkad, said Works Minister G Sudhakaran in the Assembly.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has already written to Railways Minister Piyush Goyal, urging the Centre to set up the proposed factory in Kanjikode, he said, adding that he has also written to the Union minister in this regard.
The Union government has been showing major neglect towards the state in centrally sponsored schemes, especially railway projects, the minister alleged.As per the railways’ demand, 239 acres had been identified for the project and orders issued for acquisition. Later, the railways sought more land, for which acquisition proceedings have begun. That’s when Goyal informed Parliament that a decision was taken to drop the project. However, later the minister himself stated that no such decision was taken, Sudhakaran told the House.
Raising the issue through a submission, CPM leader V S Achuthanandan criticised the Centre’s decision to drop the project. The decision was announced after the state government acquired 230 acres for the project, he said. Other than railway line, the railways have not made any major investments in Kerala.
When the Centre decided to formulate the Salem railway division, it had promised to implement the coach factory project here. Hence, the new decision is a violation of the promise, said Achuthanandan, while urging the state government to intervene in the matter.