SilverLine No nod for K-stone- laying or Social Impact Assessment, Indian railway tells High Court.

Kochi/ Thiruvananthapuram The Indian Railroads has made it clear that the Railroads Ministry and the Central Government haven't given authorization to the Kerala Government to either conduct Social Impact Assessment( SIA) or lay check monuments or labels as part of the proposed SilverLine semi high- speed rail design linking Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod.

The Railway Board in its affidavit, submitted to the High Court on Thursday, also said that the State Government hadn't raised such a demand. It said that the authorization has been granted only for bearingpre-investment conditioning. authorization was given to the State to submit a Detailed design Report( DPR) by incorporating the fiscal viability aspect.

The affidavit added that the Railroads hadn't given fiscal blessing for the design as per the guidelines given by the Union Finance Ministry.

Assistant Solicitor General S Manu filed the affidavit on behalf of the Railway Board in a case filed by a group of pleaders, including Muralikrishnan from Kottayam.

K- Rail's defence
But, the Kerala Rail Development Corporation Ltd( K- Rail), in a press release, has said that the design is going to be enforced by the State Government and hence, it has the right to acquire land and conduct social impact study.

With this, it has come clear that K- Rail Limited and the Railway Board are taking diametrically contrary station regarding the case filed by land possessors against the laying of boundary monuments for the design in their land.
Meanwhile, the progress card published by the LDF Government on its first anniversary declared that the land possessors would be given suitable compensation. But while releasing the progress card, the Chief Minister didn't utter a word about the SilverLine design in his lengthy speech.

Alignment in Mahe
The present alignment of the SilverLine design is going through Mahe and its near areas, which forms part of the Union Territory of Puducherry, the Railway Board has informed the High Court.

The K- Rail has been asked to submit all specialized details regarding the alignment for the design in Mahe.