Thiruvananthapuram/New Delhi: A ministerial delegation from Kerala on Thursday claimed that Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw did not grant them an audience to discuss Railway-related issues, like the Nemom terminal, in their district -- Thiruvananthapuram.
Kerala Ministers Antony Raju, V Sivankutty and G R Anil, in a press conference held in the evening, told reporters that though they had sought an appointment with Vaishnaw, he did not meet them.
"We are elected representatives of the people. But he did not meet us," they said.
In response to queries as to whether they raised the Silverline issue in their meeting, the ministers said that they had to give a list of topics for discussion in advance to the Railway Ministry and the K-Rail project was not one of them as the Centre's stand regarding it was in the news only recently.
"If he (the Railway Minister) was not willing to meet us, where is the question of giving him the DPR of any project," the ministers said in response to a question as to why the DPR of Silverline was not given to the Railway Ministry.
They also said that the Kerala government was interested in going ahead with the semi-high speed rail corridor and that is why it was carrying out the surveys. They also pointed out that the Centre till now has not asked them in writing to halt the project-related work.
Another reason cited by them for not discussing the project was that as representatives of the Thiruvananthapuram district, they were in the national capital to discuss Railways related issues affecting people in their constituencies and not the entire state. Silverline was an issue which affects the entire state and it has already been discussed by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they said.
The issues they wanted to take up with the Railway Ministry were regarding the Nemom terminal and the development of the Thiruvananthapuram and Kochuveli railway stations as well as to consider a proposal for a new railway line from Thiruvananthapuram to Shenkotta in Tamil Nadu via Nedumangad, Palode, Kulathupuzha and Thenmala.
(With inputs from PTI)
