K-Rail comes to a temporary halt as employees are called back

Thiruvananthapuram: As the Centre issued an official order asking all revenue officials employed for land acquisition for the SilverLine project to be absorbed in to other projects, K-Rail project which attracted much controversy comes to a temporary halt.

In a major blow to the government's decision to move forward with the project despite strong opposition from the Congress-led UDF and the BJP-led NDA, the Centre's order directs the 205 revenue officials placed in 11 districts would be posted in other projects.

When the news surfaced last week, CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran had refused receiving any such intimation and said the matter has to be discussed in the ruling Left Democratic Front.

At a crucial Assembly by-election campaign meeting early this year at Thrikkakara, the chief minister had asserted that the "K-Rail will come" and it was greeted by a thunderous applause.

Terming it "unviable", veteran Congress legislator Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan demanded shelving of the project officially besides withdrawal of cases registered against those who opposed this when the officials came to their land to lay the marking stone for this project.

In August, CM Pinarayi Vijayan informed the Assembly that the project will not be shelved and is awaiting the Centre's clearance.

The project was envisaged to be a 529.45 km corridor connecting Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod with semi high-speed trains covering the distance in around four hours.

The new development comes ahead of the special Assembly session that gets underway on December 5

-IANS Inputs