KOTTAYAM: Even as protests against SilverLine continued to rage across the state, the project has triggered a war of words between senior Congress leader and Kottayam MLA Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan and Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cherian.
While Thiruvanchoor alleged the alignment of K-Rail project was altered in Chengannur area for the benefit of the minister, Saji Cherian said he was ready to give up his property if the project passes through the land owned by him.
Addressing reporters in Kottayam on Wednesday, Thiruvanchoor said alignment of the proposed railway line was altered at Mulakkuzha panchayat in the Chengannur assembly constituency where the minister’s house is located.
Showing two set of drawings of the railway line alignment, Thiruvanchoor alleged that major changes were made in the alignment after December 2021. “The new alignment uploaded on the K-Rail website shows significant changes compared to the earlier one.
Some houses and buildings in Kurichimuttam area including the Mulakkuzha grama panchayat office, a temple and other structures, which were on the left side as per the earlier drawing, are currently on the right side of the railway line. The minister and K-Rail managing director should clarify who are the beneficiaries of these changes,” he said.
But the minister rubbished the allegations and said Thiruvanchoor was misleading people with false allegations. “When an alignment for the railway line is prepared from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod, it is not possible to exclude Saji Cherian’s house alone. If the line is coming through my property, I am ready to surrender it,” minister said. The minister also challenged Thiruvanchoor to release all the SilverLine documents in his possession.