The Communist Party of Indian (CPI) State council reportedly felt the Left Democratic Front (LDF) risked squandering its mandate if the government forged ahead with demarcating the K-Rail (SilverLine semi high-speed rail project) alignment without taking the public into confidence.
If the administration did not tread sensitively, K-Rail markers and subsequent land acquisition could become rallying points for anti-government sentiment. Ideally, the government should clear the ambiguities regarding the economic, social and environmental impact of the project. Some CPI leaders reportedly complained that LDF partners were in the dark about the project.
Forging ahead blindly with K-Rail would not augur well for the administration. The land acquisition should go hand in hand with the disbursal of adequate compensation and rehabilitation of displaced families and businesses.
The government should counter the propaganda that K-Rail would freeze road expansion and construction within a two-kilometre radius of the railway line.
Some State council members expressed scepticism about elevating the K-Rail path on mammoth concrete structures to skirt paddies and wetlands. They also sought more clarity on whether the steep railway embankment would become a hazardous barrier that impeded natural drainage during floods and mud slips. They said the CPI should raise the concerns in the LDF.
Moreover, some leaders felt the government should focus on modernising public healthcare and investing in education and social welfare instead of implementing mega schemes requiring sizeable capital investment. The government should shed more light on how it planned to raise funds for K-Rail and the long-term cost to the economy.
The government should not impinge on the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013. It should ensure adequate compensation and rehabilitation of displaced families before implementing the project.
CPI State secretary Kanam Rajendran reportedly told the council that demarcation of the line would follow public hearings. He pointed out that K-Rail was a top agenda on the LDF’s manifesto, and the electorate had endorsed the project. Hence, the LDF could not publicly disavow the scheme.
Mr. Rajendran reportedly clarified Binoy Viswam, MP’s, controversial statement that the Congress was a political necessity to fight the BJP at the Centre. He reportedly said the MP had made the observation in the national context, and the Congress was the LDF’s main rival in Kerala politics.
