Kerala-Rail to address queries over project on Thursday

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even though the chief minister took a U-turn from his earlier stand on the SilverLine project, the Kerala rail development corporation (K-Rail) is going ahead with a campaign for the project.
In the latest initiative, K-Rail, which is the implementing agency for the project, will hold an online session wherein its officials will address queries of people worldwide regarding the project. The event will be held from 4pm on Thursday, through K-Rail’s Facebook page and Youtube channel. People can raise their doubts in the comment box, to which K-Rail managing director V Ajithkumar and Systra project director M Swayambhoolingam will respond.
The earlier debate session organized by K-Rail as a physical event had run into controversies when it removed some panellists, including former railway official Alok Kumar Verma and social observer Joseph C Mathew, who were vehement critics of the project.
The government’s earlier stand was that it will go ahead with the project at any cost. After Thrikkakara elections, where the main focus was on the SilverLine project, the chief minister had indicated a change in his earlier approach to the project.
Vijayan had said that for projects like SilverLine, clearance from the Centre was important, and without it the project could not be undertaken.
“Though the Centre had taken a favourable stand earlier, it is hesitating now. Only if the Centre takes a favourable stand, we can go ahead with the project,” he had said.