Thiruvananthapuram, 31 Jan (H.S.):Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, V D Satheesan, on Saturday said the Congress is not opposed to the Centre’s proposed high-speed rail project for the State, but made it clear that any such initiative must be environmentally sustainable and financially viable for Kerala.
Responding to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s remarks that the Opposition had conveyed support for the project in New Delhi, Satheesan questioned whether it was appropriate for the Chief Minister to speak on behalf of the Opposition. “Is it for the Chief Minister to say that I supported the project in Delhi, while I should not?” he asked, rejecting the claim.
Satheesan also took a swipe at the ruling LDF over its changing stance on Metro Man E Sreedharan. He recalled that during the tenure of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, the LDF had staged protests alleging that Sreedharan was being removed from the Kochi Metro project. “At that time, they clung to Sreedharan. Now, they no longer find him useful,” Satheesan said sarcastically. He alleged that the controversy then was based on a fabricated narrative created by a minister and accused the LDF of political opportunism.
Clarifying the Congress position, Satheesan said the party is not against introducing high-speed or rapid rail projects in Kerala. “Kerala needs infrastructure development, and modern transport systems are essential. But such projects must undergo rigorous environmental scrutiny and should be financially sustainable for the State,” he said.
He criticised the government for announcing the rapid rail project without even completing a preliminary study. “The State is nearing the end of its tenure, and suddenly such a major project is being pushed without adequate groundwork. Any project, irrespective of who proposes it, will receive our support if it is genuinely beneficial. It should not harm Kerala’s environment or economy,” Satheesan asserted.
The Opposition Leader also revisited the controversial Sprinklr data deal, questioning why the government had abandoned the project if there was nothing wrong with it. “Who walked away from implementing Sprinklr? It was Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan himself. When controversies arose, the government dropped the project. If there was no issue, why was it abandoned?” he asked.
Satheesan noted that although the High Court had dismissed allegations of corruption raised by the Opposition in connection with Sprinklr, the Congress had raised serious concerns during the COVID-19 period over the alleged leakage of citizens’ personal health data. He added that the government’s decision to discontinue the project itself raised questions that remained unanswered.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman
