A bunch of growth professionals and writers, a few of whom are recognized for his or her Left leanings, have urged Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to stall the federal government’s determination to go forward with the proposed Silverline high-speed rail hall venture.
In an open letter to the chief minister, the signatories mentioned that “citizens have a right to know before the right to go” for the north-south rail hall that might spell “disaster” for the state.
According to the signatories, the state’s fragile public funds and rising ecological vulnerability are main areas of concern. “The two devastating floods of 2018 and 2019 and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic since the beginning of 2020 are already presenting scenarios of an existential crisis that requires the entire society and the state to stand together to protect the people and the environment. . This calls for re-prioritization of our development agenda away from mega construction projects like the proposed Silverline,” the petition mentioned.
Among the signatories had been nuclear engineer Dr MP Parameswaran, former planning board member G Vijayaraghavan, professor RVG Menon, who had served because the chairman of the pro-Left Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad, former pro-VC of Kerala University Professor J Prabash and Vikas Economist Dr. KP Kannan.
“What is beyond words to us is that the government has come to the fore with this fully debt-funded, foreign technology-based, independent rail system in a unilaterally declarative manner, without any political consensus and public debate. We would also appeal to the Government of Kerala to explain why urgent issues of existence are being sidelined by false succinctness in the context of the increasing spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and the continuing basic developmental and welfare needs of the people. Huge rail project,” he mentioned.
The signatories mentioned, “As development professionals and socially concerned writers and citizens, it is our collective responsibility to remember respected decision-makers of the importance of social consensus in fostering inclusive, equitable and environmentally sustainable development.” Get it.”
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
