THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said the proposed semi high speed rail project Silverline has the approval of the central government. The Union government and Railway Board have given approval to acquire land for the project, he said in an article published in Chintha magazine, the ideological and political mouthpiece of the CPM.
The criticism that the project would be detrimental to the economy of the state is baseless, he said, adding that infrastructure development would not only stimulate economic growth but also increase the revenue of the state.
There would be no second opinion that the shrinking of travel time within the state from one end to the other end to just four hours will act as a stimulant for all sectors including trade, tourism and other key sectors, said the CM. The criticism that thousands would be rendered homeless due to the project has no merit as the state government is planning to acquire land by paying deserving compensation to each of them, he said.
The state has a record of successfully implementing projects like GAIL, power highway and waterway by solving the initial apprehensions of the people. Further, the state government has been taking steps to alleviate the apprehensions of the people by addressing them and taking note of the views of political parties, including public hearings, he said in the article.
The article was published in the face of strong opposition from various corners against the project.