One on one with PM Narendra Modi ‘satisfactory’, says Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan

NEW DELHI/THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday and said the latter has promised all support to various state projects like the second phase of Kochi Metro, light metro project in Thiruvananthapuram and an All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
“The meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi was satisfactory. He offered support to all development projects in the state besides lauding the efforts taken by the state against the pandemic. The Prime Minister was happy that the state could complete the GAIL pipeline project,” Vijayan said.

The PM has also asked the state government to explore the possibility of promoting water transport. “He expressed interest in the inland waterway projects undertaken by the state. He asked us to emulate the Varanasi-Kolkata waterway model,” he said.
The chief minister presented the silverline semihigh speed railway connecting Kasaragod and Thiruvananthapuram before the Prime Minister. He also held talks with railway minister Ashwini Vaishnav in this regard.
“He (Modi) has responded to it favourably... The DPR of the project has been submitted and final approval has been sought. An in-principle administrative sanction has been obtained while the Union finance ministry has given approval for land acquisition,” Vijayan said.
The chief minister said Modi lauded Kerala’s achievements in the health sector. “The Prime Minister was briefed on the state’s fight against the pandemic and how we could keep the fatality rates low. Rigorous testing and quarantine facilities helped us in maintaining the fatality rate,” he said.
On the vaccine front, Vijayan urged the Prime Minister to allot 60 lakh doses in July. “We need at least 25 lakh doses to administer second doses of vaccine in July. So far, 44% of those aged above 18 have received their first jabs,’’ he said.
Metro Phase-II discussed
The chief minister raised the long pending demand for an AIIMS in the state besides including Kannur International Airport under the ASEAN Open Sky Agreement and adding more foreign flights from there. “I have also requested permission for land acquisition for Kozhikode airport to enable operations of big flights,” he said.
Union minister of housing and urban affairs Hardeep Singh Puri has agreed to sanction the second phase of the Kochi Metro, connecting Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and Kakkanad Infopark, at the earliest, Vijayan said. The state government has already sanctioned Rs 263 crore for the 11.2km stretch.
The minister was also apprised of light metro project proposals in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode. The Centre has suggested minor changes in the project in Thiruvananthapuram while seeking time to study the Kozhikode project.
The state has also sought speeding up measures to disburse the GST compensation of Rs 4,524 crore for 2021-’22. The other projects that came up for discussions include the Sabarimala airport, Thalassery-Mysore railway line, Angamaly-Sabari railway line and petrochemical complex.