Kerala govt blinks, says it will open Kochi metro only after PM returns from Europe
THE GOVERNMENT BACKTRACKED AFTER BJP CRITICISED SAYING THE DATE WAS CHOSEN DELIBERATELY TO CLASH WITH THE PRIME MINISTER’S UPCOMING EUROPEAN TRIP.
In the face of severe criticism, the Kerala government on Friday dropped its plan to inaugurate Kochi’s metro project on May 30 stating it was waiting for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s convenient date.
The government backtracked after BJP criticised saying the date was chosen deliberately to clash with the PM’s upcoming European trip. The prestigious project of Kerala, Kochi Metro, courted a huge controversy after state tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran on Friday announced that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the project on May 30 to commemorate the first anniversary of the LDF government.
“There is some confusion over the minister’s statement. We haven’t decided about the inauguration and are waiting for the PM’s date,” Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in Kannur. Built on PPP model, the state and the centre have equal stake in the project.
BJP state president, Kummanam Rajasekharan said, “If someone suspects that it is a deliberate attempt to avoid the PM, they can’t be blamed. It is sad the state decided a date that was clashing with the PM’s foreign tour.” He said the union surface transport ministry was also not consulted on this.
Kochi metro is unique in many ways. In a first, it will employ 23 trangenders in various departments, based on their qualifications. More workers from the community will be inducted after gauging their success, said Kerala Metro Rail Limited managing director Elias George. These transgenders will be a part of the 530 workers of the Kudumbasree, a successful women self-help group of the state, who will be manning the first metro of the state. The metro has installed solar panels atop all stations to tap green energy. Once operational half of the power demand will be met with solar energy. Authorities claim that 8 megawatt power can be produced from the panels.
In the first phase of the metro, trains will operate at a distance of 13 km, Aluva to Palarivattom. The rail safety commissioner has given it the green signal. There are eleven stations in the 13 km stretch to be covered in 20 minutes. The work on metro project began in 2012 after the Oommen Chandy government entrusted the work to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation with its principal advisor E Sreddharan overseeing it.