Thiruvananathpauram: Kerala Administrative Reforms Commission Chairman V.S. Achuthanandan has asked the Centre to abandon its move to shift the proposed rail coach factory project at Kanjikode to Haryana. He demanded that steps should be taken to start construction activities at project site. Achuthanandan said it was after a series of agitations and long wait that the Centre allowed the rail coach factory in 2008-09 budget. As a precondition for the project, the then LDF government had even handed over 439 acres of land free of cost to the railways.
Subsequently, the foundation stone of the project was laid in 2012. However, the construction activities could not be started yet. He said the project came to a complete standstill since BJP led NDA government came to power in 2014. On the other hand the rail coach factory announced for Raibareli in 2008-09 budget is up and running.
Now shattering all development hopes of the state, there are reports that the central government was planning to shift the Kanjikode project to Haryana. This can only be seen as Central Government's discrimination against the state, he alleged. Achuthanandan said under these circumstances the Prime Minister should personally intervene in the matter and reconsider the move to shift the rail coach factory project. The Centre should take immediate measures to ensure that the project remained in Kanjikode.
