K Rail: No survey anywhere in state today, survey agency seeks police protection

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: There will be no survey anywhere in the state today taking into account the protests against K Rail. The authorities said the survey had been suspended for the time being due to widespread protests across the state and could not say when it would resume.

The agency said police protection should be provided to conduct the survey in view of the protests in connection with the laying of survey stones. However, the K Rail officials said the survey had not been stopped completely. A decision has not been taken to stop the survey. The company said they would take a decision based on the situation in the districts.

Meantime, Kerala Voluntary Health Service (KVHS) informed that the social impact study on SilverLine will be delayed. More time will be sought on it. The new decision is as time ends in the first week of April. KVHS said they would inform the collectors that the survey is being delayed due to protests. KVHS is conducting the survey in five districts. A decision was taken to conduct the survey in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Thrissur, Kannur and Kasaragod.

The process of laying the stones was stopped at Ernakulam. The process had to be stopped after the survey agency said they could not proceed amidst the protests. The survey agency took the new decision following the protests in Piravom yesterday. The agency is of the stand that it will not proceed with the survey in any way. The congress protestors had the other day stopped the officials, who came to lay the stones. The employees, who reached the place, were not allowed to get out of the vehicle.

The survey agency has informed K Rail that it would not proceed with the survey procedures as there is no safety for their lives. Meantime, it has been clarified that there will be no survey in North Kerala also. There are plans to postpone the survey in Kannur till the end of the party congress.