Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday dismissed the arguments against the state's ambitious SilverLine railway project as "bewildering" and reiterated his pledge to see its completion.

"If not now, when?" the CM asked challenging the widespread claim that Kerala is not ready for such a project yet.

While acknowledging the grief of those who have lost their homes and lands on account of the project, Vijayan said that the government's intention was not to hurt anyone.

"We are only building the future for our children," Vijayan said. He also added the government's compensation to those who will lose their properties was four times higher than the current market value.

Vijayan's comments come amid rising protests in the state against the SilverLine project.

The 529.45-km-long SilverLine railway project is expected to reduce the journey time from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod from 12 hours to just 4 hours.

According to a Detailed Project Report (DPR) published on January 15, the estimated cost of the SilverLine project is Rs 63,941 crores. It is expected to be complete only by 2025.

However, the Centre is yet to approve the project.

Congress launches stir

Congress announced the launch of its official protest against the project on Monday. 

"The people of Kerala have taken up the agitation to remove boundary stones on their own. Congress had announced earlier that the stone removal would be the last option, and now the time has come for the party to act," Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president K Sudhakaran had said.

Legal action against protesters

However, the Kerala Government is determined to carry out the laying of boundary stones.

It is also planning to take legal action (destruction of public property) against those who remove the stones.

The protesters will be arrested after registering cases against them.

Those who are arrested would get bail only after depositing the amount equivalent to the value of the public property.

So far, only 6,083 stones could be laid in a span of 182 km (of the 530 km track) in the face of protests.

The Revenue Department is laying the boundary markers with the support of the police. 

Social impact study delayed

Only if the boundary stones are laid, the authorities can measure exactly the area needed for the project and identify the number of people being affected.

The social impact study is getting delayed because of the ongoing protests.

A social impact study of the rail project is undertaken now as part of the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013.

The government can go ahead with the project only if the social impact study is completed.

This has forced the government to crack the whip on the protesters.