Malappuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan while addressing the gathering at public meeting of CPM district conference held here has reiterated that government projects including SilverLine project spearheaded by K-Rail are not devised to harm anybody.

Slamming those opposing the project, the CM said that people should be cautious about some wicked forces that are campaigning against development of the state. Notably, this is the latest among Vijayan’s remarks that implicitly package pro-development narrative with a spectre.

According to the CM, row over K-Rail project is totally unwanted. “Government projects are not devised to harm anybody. Nobody will be in dismay due to execution of SilverLine project. Rehabilitation and compensation will be ensured while executing the project. Left government will be there with everyone who faces losses,” the CM said.

“Individuals should be cautious about wicked forces that are campaigning against development of the state,” the CM added. He pointed out that there were protests even during land acquisition for national highway expansion. However, no one was troubled by the lack of compensation, he said. Revealing the context more, he detailed about land acquisition process in Malappuram.

“There was a big issue in Malappuram. For national highway expansion, 203 hectares of land was to be acquired. In that 200-acre was acquired and handed over. For compensation alone, Rs 2,772 crores were spent. Those who offered land got hefty amount. It is normal to offer land when road expansion occurs as part of development in the state. But government will not make anybody to suffer. The prescribed track of SilverLine project in Tirur runs parallel to railway line. The land that will be acquired is mostly of Railways,” he said.