Thiruvananthapuram: After a lull, the Kerala Rail Development Corporation Ltd (K-Rail) is set to resume survey for the semi-high-speed railway project christened SilverLine. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has given the nod to restart the Social Impact Assessment (SIA) two months after the survey proceedings which met with vehement protests were halted.
The decision to proceed with the project groundwork was taken two weeks after receiving the concerned file.
With protests and court interventions marring the smooth progress of the ambitious project initially, the Revenue department felt the need for a political decision and forwarded the file, seeking the sanction of the chief minister. The Government took a stance not to rush through and waited for the Onam festivities to be over. The chief minister consulted with the party before deciding to accord the sanction.
Favourable legal advice
The Revenue department has already handed over the draft notification to the Law department. With the Advocate General (AG) earlier giving legal advice in favour of resuming the social impact study, the Ministry of Law and Justice just has to complete the formality of going through the draft.
The new notification is expected to be out by next week, paving the way for the resumption of the survey as part of the social impact study. The Government has decided to go for the geotagging instead of laying survey stones in the hope that it would lessen protests from the side of local residents.
No new tender
The Revenue Department has received legal advice that the further action for SIA can be entrusted with the agencies which earlier carried out the activities. The AG’s legal advice was that though the tenure of the agencies as per the tender notice got over, there was no need for calling a new tender and that they could be assigned the job given that the study had reached the halfway stage.
The tenure of the agency entrusted with initial survey proceedings at Kannur district ended on June 29, and that of the agency tasked with the final section of the study at Malappuram district expired on July 30. No study or stone-laying activities could be done in the last two months.
HC dismisses pleas
The High Court closed the pleas against the SilverLine project the other day, citing factors including the expiry of the deadline for issuing notification for the social impact study.
The court observed that the petitions wouldn't stand given that neither the social impact study not the stone-laying process got over. However, with the Government set to resume the survey proceedings, further cases may come before the court.
The administration informed the High Court on Monday that it wouldn't withdraw the cases taken so far against the protestors.
