Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 30 (SocialNews.XYZ) A fresh political row has erupted in Kerala over the State government’s announcement of the Thiruvananthapuram–Kasaragod Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), with Industries Minister P. Rajeev clarifying that the Centre has not officially communicated any decision on a high-speed rail corridor or the reported involvement of 'Metro Man' E. Sreedharan, even as the Congress termed the project announcement a “farce”.
Rajeev said the State government has not received any formal intimation from the Centre regarding a proposed high-speed rail project or the appointment of Sreedharan in any official capacity.
If the Centre has indeed designated Sreedharan as a special officer, it should be conveyed officially, following which discussions could be held, he said.
The Minister reiterated that the State government supports the idea of a high-speed rail corridor in principle, but maintained that there is no clarity so far on the Centre’s latest moves.
“We have only media reports to go by. Meaningful discussions are possible only after a written communication from the Centre,” he said, adding that technical aspects could be examined after the Union Budget, which could potentially include an announcement.
Earlier in the day Sreedharan launched a stinging attack on the State government’s RRTS project, calling it impractical, technically flawed and a sheer waste of public money, in an apparent rebuttal to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s remarks a day earlier.
Sreedharan said the RRTS proposal had no real utility for Kerala and was inferior even to a semi-high-speed rail project.
“Someone has misled the government. This is nothing but an attempt to throw dust in the public’s eyes,” he said, adding that mere announcements would not translate into viable projects.
Meanwhile, AICC General Secretary and Alappuzha MP K.C. Venugopal launched a scathing attack on the State government, accusing it of announcing the RRTS project without securing Central approval.
Drawing parallels with the earlier K-Rail proposal, Venugopal said merely announcing development projects without groundwork served no purpose.
He alleged that the State rushed to announce the RRTS in the Budget the moment reports emerged about a high-speed rail proposal and Sreedharan’s interaction with a Union Minister.
“This is nothing but an attempt to throw dust in the eyes of the people,” he said, adding that large infrastructure projects and welfare schemes could materialise only under a sincere, people-centric government led by the UDF.
The Centre has so far remained silent on the issue, even as political tempers rise ahead of the Assembly election season.
Source: IANS
About Gopi
Gopi Adusumilli is a Programmer. He is the editor of SocialNews.XYZ and President of AGK Fire Inc.
He enjoys designing websites, developing mobile applications and publishing news articles on current events from various authenticated news sources.
When it comes to writing he likes to write about current world politics and Indian Movies. His future plans include developing SocialNews.XYZ into a News website that has no bias or judgment towards any.
He can be reached at gopi@socialnews.xyz