The Centre has not said that approval will not be given for the SilverLine semi-high-speed rail project, the Kerala Rail Development Corporation Ltd. (KRDCL) said on Wednesday.
Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has stated the detailed project report (DPR) submitted by K-Rail is under the consideration of the Centre and the final nod will be given only after technical and financial viability is examined, K-Rail said in a Facebook post.
The environment report for the project has not been submitted separately. However, it is included as the 14th chapter in the DPR, K-Rail said, responding to reports regarding a reply given by the Union Minister in Parliament on the SilverLine project.
To a question on whether the Centre has given the nod for the project and whether the work has started, the Minister replied in the negative.
K-Rail also has not claimed anywhere that the final approval has been given. Also, the Minister's reply does not mean that the final approval will not be given. The Centre has pointed out that the technical and financial aspects will be scrutinised for the purpose, it said.
Pre-investment activities are currently being carried out on the strength of an in-principle approval, the Facebook post said.
It is natural for the Centre to seek clarifications on the DPR, and K-Rail is obliged to provide them. The K-rail and railways are carrying out joint inspections for providing these details, the post said.
