Rail development projects will happen, Wildlife Act needs amendment: Kerala CM

Kozhikode: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday expressed confidence that the state’s much-awaited railway development, including the SilverLine project, would eventually become a reality—if not today, then tomorrow. He also reiterated the state's demand for amendments to the Centre’s Wildlife Protection Act, citing rising human-animal conflicts.

"No one should think that things will always remain the same. The railway development of our state will become a reality. If not today, then tomorrow," Vijayan said at a press conference held here on the occasion of the fourth anniversary celebrations of his government.

Responding to a query on the Left government's ambitious SilverLine project, which was shelved due to opposition protests, he said that rail development would be possible only with the permission of the central government.

"We thought that if such a project were to take place, no one would oppose it--particularly at a time when the Government of India speaks of the nation's progress through such initiatives. But a very, very unfortunate situation arose. The project was denied permission," the Chief Minister said.

He accused the Centre of "siding" with those who oppose the state government on the SilverLine matter, and said such a stance was taken for political reasons.

Vijayan said when his state government halted the project due to opposition, 'Metroman' E Sreedharan came up with a suggestion on which there were not many differences.

"Although the matter was taken up with the Union Railway Minister by me, and later with the Central Government by the state government's special representative in Delhi, K V Thomas, there has been no response," he lamented.

The SilverLine project is a proposed 529.45 km semi-high-speed rail corridor aimed at connecting Thiruvananthapuram in the south to Kasaragod in the north, significantly reducing travel time from 12 hours to under four hours.

CM renews call to amend Wildlife Act amid rising animal-human conflict

Vijayan also called for timely amendments to the Centre's Wildlife Protection Act to address the rising incidents of human-animal conflicts and to regulate the growing population of wild animals.

Vijayan noted that while population control measures have been effectively implemented for humans, the number of wild animals in forests continues to rise.

Adequate steps must be taken to regulate their population, he said, in response to a question about increasing human-animal conflicts in the state.

Vijayan pointed out that hunting is a globally accepted practice for controlling wild animal populations, but it remains banned in India.

“In our country, the authorities have taken a hands-off approach toward wild animals,” the CM said, adding that the state has been urging a change in this policy.

“But the Centre's stance is against it. The state wants the Centre to revise this policy,” he added.

When asked about the recent incident involving CPM MLA K U Jenish Kumar—who allegedly forced the release of a man held by the Forest Department in connection with the electrocution of a wild elephant near Konni—the CM responded, “No one has the right to take the law into their own hands.”

The law will take its course, the Left veteran added.

PTI