Congress in Kerala has mooted enhanced domestic air connectivity as an alternative to the proposed semi-high-speed rail project as the protest against the rail project was mounting.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president K Sudhakaran said in a social media post that while the proposed Silver Line project would require at least Rs 1.3 lakh crore, a domestic air-connectivity network could be established by spending only around Rs 1,000 crore.
The 'Fly in Kerala' network could be established by making use of the existing four airports of Kerala and the Mangalore and Coimbatore airports that are close to Kerala. The state government could also acquire around ten mini aircraft and set up more airstrips if required, said Sudhakaran.
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He flayed that though Congress was mooting this alternative for quite some time, the Pinarayi Vijayan government in Kerala was totally ignoring it without any discussions. The vested interest of the government in the rail project was quite evident -- to get a commission out of the deal, he alleged.
Sudhakaran also said that the facts and figures being presented by the government over the estimated ridership, project cost and travel charges were not factual. Owing to the cost escalation the project is also likely to be abandoned midway, he said.
Meanwhile, the protest against the rail project continues with people and activists uprooting stones laid for demarking the land for the proposed rail line. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has reiterated that the government would go ahead with the project.
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