Pinarayi Vijayan to go to people with controversial K-Rail project

Thiruvananthapuram: With both the principal Opposition parties Congress-led UDF and the BJP-led NDA vehemently opposing his pet dream project K-Rail, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has decided to reach out to the people to win their confidence.

If completed, the flagship railway project will set up a 529.45 km corridor connecting Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod covering the distance within four hours. The estimated cost is in excess of Rs 64,000 crore.

Vijayan, on Saturday, had publicly said that he will not be cowed down by the threats but he will explain to the people and win their confidence similar to what happened in the GAIL pipe line project.

Meanwhile, the major complaint of the combined Opposition is the detailed project report of K-Rail despite has not been made public several pleas from various quarters.

Vijayan and his top party brass, which met here the other day, decided to take a similar approach like what they did when the combined Opposition had spread canards against the Left government's attitude towards entry of all women into the famed Sabarimala temple.

After they came a cropper in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls where the Sabarimala issue was taken up by the combined Opposition, later they undertook a door-to-door campaign highlighting that they are not against the temple and the party felt it was this which helped them at the April Assembly polls and helped them to retain power.

And hence Vijayan has decided to take a similar approach and the leaflet is now ready which explains it's a project which will change the face of Kerala. The Congress, BJP and the Jamath Islami have joined hands to oppose the project as it's the Left government which is taking up this project.

The project, it says, will not harm the environment and it's well within the financial capability of the state contrary to claims that it would be in excess of Rs one lakh crore.

However, the leaflet has not mentioned whether the detailed project report will be published but there are reports that Vijayan might spring a surprise by putting it out in public domain shortly.

Vijayan got a shocker when the Left backed Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad expressed serious reservations on the project and soon came the CPI, the second biggest party in the ruling Vijayan government sounding similar objections.

But putting a brave face was CPI's State Minister for Agriculture A.P.Prasad who said that there is no difference of opinion as they are part of the Left government.

"All what the Left does is with the full concurrence of the political front that we belong to. Whatever difference of opinion is there, will be cleared also," said Prasad.

By now, both the Congress and the BJP have completed one round of massive protests against this project and more protests have been announced also.

Meanwhile, Metroman E. Sreedharan has described the project as "ill-conceived, badly planned and poorly handled."