THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: For the first time, the state government has released documents substantiating its claim of the Centre’s in-principle approval for the SilverLine project. Finance Minister K N Balagopal released two official letters from the Centre giving the nod in this regard.
Quoting from the letters — one from the Ministry of Railways to the Chief Secretary on December 17, 2019, and another from Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on January 15, 2021 — Balagopal said on Thursday that the state government has been going ahead with SilverLine, based on the Centre’s green signal.
As per the Railway Ministry’s letter, the semi-high-speed rail project submitted by the state was examined and an in-principle approval given for taking up pre-investment activities. Balagopal said the government expects the Centre to soon issue the remaining clearances too.
He said the Centre further informed the state government that it can move forward to finalise the financial aspects. In her letter to the CM, Nirmala Sitharaman said the Department of Economic Affairs gave a green signal for the project in October 2020.
“The Project Implementation Agency and the state government may engage with JICA to move forward to finalise the designing of packages that would facilitate co-financing and in the meantime land acquisition and other clearances may be expedited by the PIA,” said the letter.
It is in this backdrop that the state government moved forward keeping the people’s interest in mind, Balagopal said. On Wednesday, the railway minister had informed Parliament that sanction has not yet been given to the SilverLine project. Stating that the DPR for the project is incomplete, Ashwini Vaishnaw said the final nod will be given only after assessing its techno-economic viability.
Elamaram, Venugopal spar over project in RS
The SilverLine issue again came up before Parliament on Thursday with CPM member Elamaram Kareem raising the issue in Rajya Sabha seeking Central clearance for the project and Congress’ KC Venugopal opposing it. Stating that SilverLine would be the biggest milestone in the state’s developmental history, Kareem said the Centre should provide necessary financial assistance for the project without delay.
Even as Kareem raised the issue, Venugopal stood up alleging that the state government has been trying to force the project upon the masses and people don’t want the semihigh- speed rail project. Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu, who was on the Chair, intervened saying the project is currently before the Union Government and let it take a call after detailed examination.
In another development, KPCC president K Sudhakaran who favoured the project on Wednesday, retracted from his stance a day after saying his words were misquoted.
No need for hurry: CPI
T’Puram: The SilverLine project should be implemented only after addressing people’s concerns, the CPI observed. The party state executive on Thursday said the project should not be implemented in a hurry.
Sudhakaran backtracks
T’Puram: A day after he favoured the SilverLine project saying the Congress was not against it, Congress state president K Sudhakaran backtracked on his statement on Thursday, claiming his words had been twisted. The move comes after Sudhakaran faced flak within the party and his detractors taking up the matter.
