MALAPPURAM: CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has said the protests against the K-Rail project are politically motivated and that the party will face them politically. Those who take part in the type of protest in which survey stones are laid on the secretariat and collectorate premises deserved to be beaten up, he said.
Speaking to reporters in Malappuram on Tuesday, he said the protests are being organised with the agenda that nothing would be permitted to be done during the LDF rule in the state. He further said the government will provide compensation to the people before acquiring the land for the project.
“If it is an issue of the people who would lose their land for the project, the state government is ready to consider it specially. The land will be acquired only after distributing compensation to people. But some people are being made to take part in protests by spreading wrong messages related to land acquisition. At present, survey stones are being laid to conduct the social impact study. We can move forward to other proceedings of the project only after completing the social impact study,” Kodiyeri said.
Replying to BJP state president K Surendran’s statement that the project has not got the Centre’s approval, Kodiyeri said only the works allotted by the Central government are being carried out in the state. “The Centre has given approval to conduct the survey, DPR preparation and environmental impact study. Also, the High Court has allowed the government to carry on with the survey. So, the protests are also against the High Court verdict,” he added.
Kodiyeri said the survey will be continued in the state despite the protests. “The government will not go back on the project. If they seize the survey stones, we will import stones from other states to complete the survey.”