Vijayan seeks help from PM Modi for K-Rail project

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 8 After facing massive opposition to what's now billed as the dream project of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan - the proposed Rs 60,000 crore Silver Line K-Rail project, Vijayan after the weekly cabinet meeting held here, on Wednesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his personal intervention to accord sanction for the project.

The project if completed will set up a 529.45 km corridor connecting Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod.

Both the Congress and the BJP led political fronts have already announced to strongly oppose this project and Metroman E. Sreedharan said the proposed K-Rail (Silver Line) project, as conceived, is totally against the interests of the state and termed it an idiotic proposal.

Likewise the Congress led UDF has by now held a few protests against this project as it's not a feasible one as when completed the cost could be over Rs one lakh crore.

In his letter to the Prime Minister, Vijayan said he is enclosing a report which points out the proposed project's anticipated contributions to the Indian Railway System and adds that this is not going to benefit just Kerala but also to the nation, contributing both to economy and environment.

Further, Vijayan points out in the letter that without the land acquisition cost, the project's equity internal rate of return is 13.55 per cent and hence viable as per the agreement between the Ministry of Railways and the Government of Kerala.

Incidentally last Tuesday Vijayan was at his best and spoke non-stop for over an hour in front of the official residence of Kerala Governor and blamed the Centre and the Congress led Opposition, here and a week later, he has written to Modi seeking his personal intervention to clear the project.