Union Minister of State V Muraleedharan alleged that some leaders in the Kerala government are trying to make money and fill their pockets in the name of development under the garb of the SilverLine rail project.
"In the name of development, the state government and some of the leaders in the government wants to make some money, fill their pockets. That is the goal of this (SilverLine)project," said Muraleedharan on Tuesday.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader claimed this project will not bring in any development to the state instead it will only displace the people whose lands are being acquired by the government for this project.
"Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is trying to mislead people. The Silver Line project will not bring any development instead it will only displace people," he said.
Further, adding that Union Railway Ministry has not given approval for the SilverLine rail project.
"Railway Minister has mentioned in the Parliament that they have not given any approval for this project," he said.
Meanwhile, Vijayan on Tuesday said that Left Democratic Front (LDF) led Kerala government will implement the protested SilverLine project while assuring that the state government would pay four times the prevailing market prices as compensation for acquiring land.
"The LDF government will implement the SilverLine project. There are attempts to mislead people. It is natural that people whose land is being acquired for the project will be disappointed. But I want to tell you that the government will pay four times the market price as compensation," said Vijayan.
People across Kerala are protesting against SilverLine project. The first major protest happened in Kottayam's Madampally on March 18.
The 529-km SilverLine railway project will link Thiruvananthapuram in the south to Kasaragod in north Kerala, covering 11 districts through 11 stations. The journey between two stations is expected to take four hours, whereas it currently takes 12 hours to reach from one end to another.
It is also being opposed by the opposition Congress-led UDF, which has been alleging that the project is "unscientific and impractical" and will put a huge financial burden on the state.
( With inputs from ANI )
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