New Delhi: The Congress and Left members locked horns over the K-Rail's SilverLine project during the discussion on demands for grants for the railways in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
While the United Democratic Front (UDF) members termed the project anti-people, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) MPs countered, asking the former not to create roadblocks for the State's development.
The LDF also sought the Centre's permission for the project.
Raising the issue, Congress chief whip Kodikkunnil Suresh demanded to know if the Centre had accorded permission to the SilverLine project.
The State government has taken up the preliminary works, claiming that it has received the Centre's in-principle approval.
Suresh also demanded the minister to clarify how the Detailed Project Report had included land belonging to the railways if the State had not been granted permission to roll out the project.
Urging the Centre to clear the confusion over the project, the Congress leader said the whole of Kerala has been against the plan, and the State's financial health was not conducive for implementing the SilverLine project.
Later, E T Mohammed Basheer of the Indian Union Muslim League urged the government not to approve the project that would render thousands homeless. Several experts, including metroman E Sreedharan, had warned that the project, if implemented, would adversely impact the environment. The project should be dropped considering the common interest of the people, he said.
Rajmohan Unnithan of the Congress demanded the Centre to alott 10 of the 400 Vande Bharat trains announced in the Budget to Kerala. The Centre should ask the State government to drop the SilverLine project.
A M Ariff of the CPM accused the Centre of succumbing to the pressure exerted by the Congress-BJP combine, and has been impeding the project. Thomas Chazhikadan of the Kerala Congress (Mani) sought the Centre's nod for the project after addressing the concerns over the SilverLine plan.
CPI's policies decided within party, not in family meetings: MLA
Thiruvananthapuram: The policies of the Communist party are not decided in family meetings, but by the State committee after elaborate discussions, CPI MLA P S Supal told the State Assembly.
He was referring to a letter sent by the children of late CPI leaders, opposing the State government's SilverLine project.
M K Muneer of the Indian Union Muslim League had informed the Assembly on Monday that CPI's senior leaders would be sending the mail.
Responding, Supal said none of them (CPI leaders) had received the letter, and even if someone had received it, the party's decisions are made based on discussions within the party.
He asserted the CPI's stand favouring the implementation of the SilverLine, which is inevitable for the development of the State.
The open letter by the children of late CPI leaders
Thiruvananthapuram: The open letter by the children of CPI leader could have been meant for someone else, CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran has said, adding he reads all letters addressed to him.
The mail against the SilverLine project was sent to Rajendran by about 20 children of CPI's late leaders the other day. The email was forwarded to the media also.
