Congress, UDF not against high-speed rail project, says V D Satheesan

Thiruvananthapuram: Congress leader V D Satheesan on Saturday said that his party and the UDF were not opposed to any high-speed rail project, provided it was environmentally sustainable and financially viable for the state.

Commenting on the ongoing debate between the state government, which is pushing for the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), and 'Metroman' E Sreedharan, who has been advocating a high-speed rail project, Satheesan said Kerala required faster mobility solutions and that infrastructure development should proceed.

"We are not against any high-speed rail project, and it should come. But there should be proper environmental studies, and it should be financially viable for Kerala," the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly told reporters here.

He said his party would not object to such a project even if it was brought by the Centre or the state government.

"The RRTS project was announced towards the end of the government’s tenure, just before it is going to leave the office. It was announced without even a preliminary study. However, we will support any good project," he said.

Satheesan said the Opposition had opposed the K-Rail project only after studying its Detailed Project Report (DPR).

"We realised it would create an environmental disaster in Kerala and would destroy the state financially. That is why we objected to it," he said.

He said the party did not oppose the high-speed rail project proposed by Sreedharan, as it required more detailed studies.

Satheesan said after expressing his views, he was attacked by those who claimed that he opposed the state government’s K-Rail project but welcomed a project proposed by the Centre.

"I said, let the Railways announce the project. Sreedharan is behind it, and we will examine it. But people, including the Kerala Industries Minister, attacked me," he said.

Satheesan said recent comments by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had confirmed that the government was aware of Sreedharan’s proposal and had taken it to Delhi.

He also recalled that when the Oommen Chandy-led government was in power, the present Industries Minister P Rajeev, had led protests following a fake campaign claiming that Sreedharan was being removed from the Kochi Metro Rail project.

"Now they don’t like Sreedharan. I don’t know what this is," Satheesan added.