While the protests against the SilverLine semi high-speed rail project has had initial success, the United Democratic Front (UDF) will continue the protests until the time the government shelves the project entirely, Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan has said.
Talking to reporters here, Mr. Satheesan said that while the government direction to K-Rail recommended geotagging instead of stone-laying to mark the alignment of the railway line, some ministers said laying the yellow stones would continue. As the UDF had maintained, laying stones was to acquire land by crook and no banks would provide loan to owners of land laden with such survey stones. But the Chief Minister took an arrogant stance and several landowners suffered in the protests by way of violence at the hands of the police or with cases slapped against them, Mr. Satheesan said.
Since the stand of the Chief Minister was that regardless of the outcome of the social impact and environment impact studies, the project would be implemented, the UDF had resolved to oppose the project until the time it was shelved, he added.
Mr. Satheesan also chose to flay the government for the dire financial situation of the State exchequer and urged the government to release a whitepaper on the State’s financial status. When the government was not in a position to protect the KSRTC, the preferred public transport of the common man, it was ironical that it wanted to bring the SilverLine project, which would only benefit the moneyed, he alleged.
