Kerala govt scraps controversial SilverLine rail project, to drop cases

Kerala's Cabinet has decided to completely denotify the SilverLine rail project, ending the initiative by the previous LDF government. CM VD Satheesan announced the withdrawal of protest-related cases and removal of land acquisition markers.

Kerala Cabinet Officially Scraps SilverLine Project

Keralam Chief Minister VD Satheesan on Wednesday announced that the state Cabinet has decided to fully denotify the SilverLine semi-high-speed rail project, effectively putting an end to the controversial initiative launched by the previous LDF government. Addressing the press conference after the Cabinet meeting, Satheesan said the government would also recommend the withdrawal of all cases related to protests against the project and the removal of land acquisition-related demarcation markers. "In today's Cabinet, we have decided to denotify the SilverLine project. The acquisition process will be denotified. We will recommend that the concerned authorities withdraw all cases connected with the SilverLine agitation. We have asked the Revenue Department to remove all boundary signals for acquiring this land," the Chief Minister said.

Reiterating the government's stance, Satheesan said the administration was not opposed to the high-speed rail project but rejected the SilverLine proposal on grounds of feasibility and environmental impact. "We are not against the high-speed rail project. We oppose the SilverLine project because it was an environmental disaster. It was not economically viable. There wasn't even a detailed project report," he added.

'Resounding Victory': Protestors Welcome Government's Decision

Following the Cabinet decision, S Rajeevan, general convener of K-Rail SilverLine Virudha Janakeeya Samiti, welcomed the move and said the decision marked the culmination of a seven-year struggle. "We are extremely happy because we have been fighting against this project for the last seven years. In Kerala's history, there has never been another issue where police were deployed from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod, and people were dealt with in such a harsh manner. This is a resounding victory for the agitation we carried out against it," Rajeevan told ANI.

Four Key Demands Met

He added that the agitation committee had submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister a day earlier, listing four key demands -- cancellation of the 2020 project decision, withdrawal of the 2021 land acquisition notification, withdrawal of all pending police cases, and removal of yellow survey stones placed in various locations.

"We salute this government because the demands we submitted to the Chief Minister yesterday have been accepted. In the memorandum. We had sought four major decisions -- first, cancellation of the 2020 decision related to the project; second, withdrawal of the 2021 land acquisition notification; third, withdrawal of all pending police cases connected to the protests; and fourth, removal of the remaining yellow survey stones placed in various locations. It is a matter of great happiness that the Cabinet itself accepted these demands," Rajeevan said.

"It is a matter of great happiness for the agitation committee that the Cabinet itself took a decision on these demands today after receiving the memorandum yesterday. We are conveying our gratitude and happiness to the government," he added.

Background of the Controversial Project

The 530-km SilverLine corridor, planned to connect Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod, was mooted in 2019 by the previous LDF government as a semi-high-speed rail network. However, the project faced sustained public protests, political opposition and legal hurdles over land acquisition and displacement concerns.

The alignment required the acquisition of over 1,200 hectares of land and was projected to displace around 10,000 families, triggering widespread resistance across the state. The project, estimated to cost over Rs 63,000 crore, also faced questions over financial viability and dependence on international loans, along with delays in securing central approvals. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)