Will support rail projects in Kerala if environmentally, financially viable: Satheesan

Congress leader VD Satheesan said on Saturday (January 31) that the party and the UDF were not against high-speed rail, if the project was environmentally-sustainable and financially-viable for the state.

"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.

Commenting on the ongoing debate between the state government-backed Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), and "Metro Man" E Sreedharan’s high-speed rail project, Satheesan said Kerala required faster mobility solutions, and that infrastructure development should proceed.

Also read: Why a high-speed rail network could lead to Kerala-Centre flashpoint

He said his party would not object to such a project whether 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.

‘Needs more detailed studies’

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, but it required more detailed studies.

Also read: SilverLine out, central high-speed rail in: The contest over Kerala’s mobility control

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.

Sreedharan’s proposal

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.

Also read: Why Pinarayi govt’s ambitious SilverLine project is facing hurdles?

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.