New Delhi: The opposition Congress and CPI(M), who often jointly take on the government in Parliament, sparred with each other in Lok Sabha on Wednesday over the K-Rail Silverline project in Kerala, prompting Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to take a dig at the two parties.
Politics of Kerala is unique. Delhi main dosti, Kerala main kushti (friendship in Delhi, rivalry in Kerala), I can't say anything on that, the minister quipped, as Congress and CPI(M) members raised slogans against each other.
The CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) is ruling the southern state, while the United Democratic Front (UDF), headed by the Congress, is the main opposition there.
During the Question Hour, Congress member Hibi Eden claimed there was huge resentment against the Silverline project and urged the Centre to consider the environmental and financial issues carefully before granting a final sanction.
Another Congress member Benny Behanan claimed that the Silverline project was being implemented by the Kerala government without getting a final sanction from the Centre.
CPI(M) member A M Ariff countered the Congress members, contending that the resounding mandate for the CPI(M) in the assembly elections was a public approval to the 530-km project linking Thiruvananthapuram and Kasargod by a north-south corridor and rejected claims of resentment against it.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the final approval for the project will depend on the techno-economic viability and pointed out that Metroman' E Sreedharan too had voiced concern about the technical feasibility of the project.
Ariff urged the minister not to believe Sreedharan's verbal talk and take a look at the detailed project report on Silverline prepared by the Kerala government.
A bemused Vaishnaw said that he had given a clear answer that the project will be approved only after studying the techno-economic viability report.
He then quipped about how the two parties have a friendship in Delhi but are "wrestling" in Kerala.
The minister said the Kerala Rail Development Corporation (KRDC) had submitted the detailed project report (DPR) for the semi high-speed rail project for approval.
Vaishnaw said sufficient details for technical feasibility were not available in the DPR.
KRDCL has been advised to provide detailed technical documents such as alignment plan, particulars of railway land and private land, crossings over existing railway network, duly depicting affected railway asset through Zonal Railway after site verification for detailed examination of the project and to arrive at conclusion about the feasibility of the project, the minister said.
Project is not yet sanctioned. Approval of Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs will be required as the project cost is more than Rs 1000 crore, he said.
