Pinarayi Vijayan likely to urge for Centre’s nod for rail project

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, is likely to press for the Centre’s clearance for the state’s much-hyped semi-high-speed rail project.

Government sources said that the Chief Minister would be discussing many issues of the state, and the rail project may also come up. The state initiated steps for the rail project as per the Centre’s directive. But the Centre recently clarified that its final nod was still pending. This aggravated the protest against the rail project.

Since the BJP leaders in Kerala also oppose the rail project, the Centre’s decision assumed much political significance.