THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan underscored the resolve of the LDF government, which is entering its second year in office, to complete four major infrastructure projects including the ambitious SilverLine during its present tenure.
The projects are the Kochi-Palakkad and the Kochi-Mangaluru industrial corridors, Thiruvananthapuram Capital City Region Development and the SilverLine semi high-speed rail line, the CM said in an article on the eve of Pinarayi 2.0’s first anniversary.
Pinarayi said the social impact assessment survey is currently under way in districts through which SilverLine is proposed to pass. He promised maximum compensation for owners of land that would be acquired.
‘State has Centre’s nod for SilverLine’s prelim works’
The chief minister said the Union finance ministry has given its approval to go ahead with the preliminary works associated with the project. Development of national highway, hill highway, coastal highway, Wayanad tunnel and south-north national waterway will be completed, Pinarayi said. He added a transgrid project worth `10,000 crore will be launched to transform Kerala into a power-sufficient state.
The CM said eliminating poverty, addressing unemployment, increasing the income of farmers by 50%, protecting the public sector and traditional industries, and ensuring at least `10,000 crore of private investment in the state were also among the government’s plans. Developing the state into an electronic and pharmaceutical hub, encouraging value-added industries such as food processing and doubling the tourism market are the other priorities, he said.
Elaborating on the government’s long-term plan, the CM said the LDF government intends to raise the standard of living in the state to that of developed countries. He said efforts are on to ensure welfare of the elderly and provide differently abled children all facilities that are currently available to normal children. Pinarayi said the LDF had made 900 promises in its election manifesto. Of them, 765 are in various stages of completion in the government’s first year itself. He added the government’s progress report over past one year will be out on June 2.
UDF TO COMMEMORATE LDF GOVT’S FIRST ANNIVERSARY AS ‘DESTRUCTIVE YEAR’
T’Puram: The opposition will be commemorating the second Pinarayi government’s first year in office as a “destructive year”. UDF will hold an evening dharna at 1,300 centres across the state from 4 pm to 6 pm, on Friday. Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan while inaugurating the event at Thrikkakara municipality will highlight threats posed by the SilverLine project.