K-Rail MD claims Centre’s nod for SilverLine land acquisition

V Ajith Kumar feigns ignorance on legality of laying of survey stones and whether parcels of land that are marked with survey stones can be used for transactions
Anie Prasad J P, Vellarada block panchayat member being chased by police after she tried to lay a symbolic K-Rail survey stone during a protest. (Photo | B P Deepu, EPS)
Anie Prasad J P, Vellarada block panchayat member being chased by police after she tried to lay a symbolic K-Rail survey stone during a protest. (Photo | B P Deepu, EPS)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: K-Rail MD V Ajith Kumar on Monday claimed that the work of SilverLine has been progressing in total concurrence with the Union government. “We have got in-principle approval for the project from the Centre.

The Union finance minister has given the go-ahead for land acquisition. The finance minister also included the project in JICA rolling plan for obtaining financial support. The Centre has also made it clear that all projects in the national rail plan will be completed before 2030. All these are in accordance with the policies of the Central government,” Ajith Kumar told reporters here.

Reiterating that the ongoing process of laying K-Rail survey stones is for demarcating land for social impact assessment only, Ajith Kumar said the final alignment of the project will only be decided after SIA (Social Impact Assessment). When asked about the law or rule that backs the act of laying stones ahead of the survey, the MD said the High Court has given them the approval for doing so.

To a further query on the specific rule, Ajith Kumar said all supporting documents were submitted before the High Court. “I may not have all those details,” he said, without giving a proper answer to the query. The division bench comprising Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice Shaji P Chaly, in the order dated February 14, interpreted the Kerala Survey and Boundaries Rules, 1964 to conclude that the government has the right to enter into a private property for survey purposes including SIA and they can even lay survey stones, that too not necessarily be of the type prescribed in the Rules.

The MD also pretended ignorance when asked whether transactions were possible in parcels of land which had been marked with survey stones. “You need to ask the revenue department about this,” he said.
Clarifying that the compensation for all will be paid before acquiring land, Ajith Kumar said SIA was essential to find out the views of those who support and oppose the project. “Acquisition will start only after the approvals of the government and railway board. If the expert panel that studies SIA suggests changes in the alignment, that will be made too,” he said.

Don’t waste time uprooting survey stones: Kodiyeri

Kannur: Those agitating against SilverLine project should not waste time by removing survey stones, as the project would be implemented at any cost by the government, CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said on Monday. He told reporters that there is no point in people uprooting the survey stones that were laid in connection with the project as the location of the stones are recorded. This mode of agitation has taken place some 100 years ago. Things have changed now,” he said. “The project cannot be stopped by removing the stones. If that were the case, any project could be toppled by removing the stones. The agitation is part of a political conspiracy to unsettle the Pinarayi government,” he said. “The detractors are planning to build a large front against the government. For this, the Congress, RSS, SDPI and Jama’ath-e-Islami are joining hands,” said Kodiyeri.

Compensation will be paid: MD
Clarifying that the compensation for all will be paid before acquiring land, K-Rail MD Ajith Kumar said Social Impact Assessment was essential to find out the views of those who support and oppose the project.

‘Cost escalation Rs 3,500 crore/year’
K-Rail MD V Ajith Kumar said the cost escalation for the project is Rs 3,500 crore for every additional year. He said K-Rail will replace the damaged survey stones and SIA is expected to be completed in next three months.

Youth Congress to protest at mins’ residences
T’Puram: Youth Congress (YC), which protested against the SilverLine project at the Secretariat on Monday, warned of staging similar protests at official residences of ministers. YC workers attempted to scale the walls of the Secretariat and install symbolic K-Rail survey stones to protest against survey proceedings across the state. The stones were finally installed near the main gate where YC workers staged a protest meet. “The protest will have to be taken to residences of ministers who brand people protesting against illegal laying of survey stones as terrorists,” YC state president Shafi Parambil said.

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