THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : CPI leader and Rajya Sabha member Binoy Viswam didn’t join the delegation of LDF MPs who met Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in New Delhi on Friday, seeking speedy approval for SilverLine semi high-speed rail project. CPM MPs led by Elamaram Kareem met the minister at his office and requested that the Union government should speed up final approval for the project.
Rajya Sabha members V Sivadasan and John Brittas and Lok Sabha member A M Ariff were part of the delegation. A detailed representation submitted by the MPs to the minister recalled that the project to connect state capital Thiruvananthapuram to the northernmost district Kasaragod in four hours has received in-principle clearance from the Union government.
“We have also told the minister that campaigns against the project which will give a facelift to the state are politically motivated. The minister said the detailed project report submitted by the state is under consideration,” said Elamaram Kareem.
Binoy Viswam, who was in New Delhi, opted out of the delegation citing personal reasons. According to sources in CPI, the decision of Binoy was purposeful as there are serious reservations within CPI over the feasibility of the project. In the state council meeting held here on Thursday, a section of leaders had sounded caution against supporting the project.
They raised issues ranging from state’s financial constraints to environmental impact as reasons that require a rethinking on the project. Though CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran defended the project in public, it is learnt that the number of opponents in the party are growing day by day.
Binoy Viswam is a committed environmentalist and he found it hard to support the project as several environmental queries remain unanswered. The LDF MPs had requested for a meeting with Union railway minister following the representation filed by 19 UDF MPs urging the ministry to direct the Government of Kerala to stop works on the project.