Residents file police criticism in opposition to SilverLine, need boundary stones faraway from their properties

By Express News Service

KANHANGAD: On a day when the Union authorities advised the Kerala High Court that the state authorities ought to cease the proceedings of buying land for the SilverLine venture, round 35 residents of Padna and Trikaripur panchayat filed separate police complaints in opposition to the state authorities for “illegally” erecting boundary stones on their property.

More than 400 complaints will likely be filed in opposition to the venture and the “encroachment” of personal properties in Chandera police station, mentioned Okay V Jathindran, chairman of Okay-Rail Resistance Committee.

Jathindran’s committee represents residents from a 6-km stretch from Thadiyan Kovval at Udinoor in Padna gram panchayat to North Trikaripur in Trikaripur panchayat. “Within that stretch, around 150 families will lose their land. From Trikaripur town to Olavara bridge, more than 400 families will be affected. The entire Trikaripur town will be obliterated by the SilverLine project,” he mentioned.

But that was not why Jathindran was opposing the venture. “I have around 1.4 acres and I am losing only four cents and the government will compensate me adequately. I am against SilverLine because it will be ecologically a disastrous project,” he mentioned.

Apart from homes, paddy fields, playgrounds, locations of worship and enterprise institutions are within the line of the venture.

On Friday, the Union authorities advised the excessive courtroom that the in-principle nod given to the state authorities was for making ready a Detailed Project Report. The Ministry of Railways was nonetheless learning the monetary feasibility and alignment of the venture.

Residents of Padna and Trikaripur mentioned the Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited (Okay-Rail), which is implementing the SilverLine venture, has violated their property. “They have erected the boundary stones in our property without even serving a notice or seeking permission,” mentioned C Okay A Rasheed of Trikaripur. In his criticism, he has requested the police to take away the boundary stones. Almost all of the complaints are just like Rasheed’s.

Residents mentioned Okay-Rail has employed an out of doors company to demarcate the alignment for the venture. In Nileshwar, police gave safety to the company to erect boundary stones on personal property within the face of stiff opposition from residents.

Now, the residents are taking the authorized path to stall the venture. “Those who have moved the high court have got relief. We are planning to tag along,” mentioned Jathindran.