Kerala govt scraps 'Silverline' high-speed rail project launched by LDF. Here's why

KErala Chief government minister VD Satheesan proclaimed on midweek that the proposed “Silverline” semi-high velocity rail in project would now be scrapped. The 530-km project was expected to reduce the distance between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod- two districts at opposite ends of the state- to four hours. This was a collaboration between the former government under the LDF administration and the Ministry of Railways, planned by K-Rail."The Cabinet has decided to scrap the Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod semi-high speed rail corridor project called Silverline," Satheesan said at the commencement of a press conference. The CM also added that notifications regarding land acquisition for the project will be revoked, as reported by PTI.Why the ambitious project was withdrawnThe Congress-led Kerala government stated that the project was withdrawn due to its abandonment by the previous administration and issues pertaining to transactions regarding lands notified for acquisition, a move affecting the common man. The central government's lack of approval for the project added to the mix.Satheesan clarified that the government would be supportive of a high-speed rail corridor as long as it was financially and environmentally sound for the state. "We had opposed the Silverline as it did not even have a proper Detailed Project Report (DPR). Had it been implemented, it would have been an environmental disaster, as 30-foot-high embankments were planned for 300 km and 10-foot-high walls for another 200 km of the rail corridor," he said. “During monsoons, it would have turned into an environmental disaster. It was not a sustainable project.”Land acquisition, protests and criminal casesAll advertisements issued in the interest of land acquisition for the project will now be denotified. The government will also recommend the withdrawal of criminal cases against those who opposed the project, subject to the court's approval. Extensive state-wide protests were led by the Congress wherein multiple yellow markers were uprooted and thrown away by agitators.The Home Department is expected to examine these cases and recommend withdrawal based on their nature. In addition, the Revenue Department has been instructed to yellow concrete markers set up at various locations in favour of the project.Public Service Commission exam rank listingsApart from discussing the scrapped “Silverline” project, the CM also spoke about extending the validity of exam rank listings for the Public Service Commission (PCS) expiring on August 31 till November 30. Despite the move being unprecedented in nature, Satheesan announced that it was required due to the low number of appointments as a result of elections and related work."The lack of appointments disappointed many youngsters and created difficulties for them," Satheesan added. More instructions will be made available in this regard to the Public Service Commission.The list of promises offered in the UDF manifesto are expected to be divided among various departments overseeing their implementation. This includes a plan to finish all manifesto promises, likely to face minimal intervention, in the first 100 days from June 1."We have termed it Vision 2031. Instructions have been issued to immediately start working on implementing all the promises made to the public in the manifesto so that it can be finished before this government's term expires in 2031," the CM said.A sub-committee has been created to recommend names for the Padma awards to the Centre along with appointing advocate Mohammed Shah as the Additional Advocate General in the Kerala High Court.