THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: One should show the basic courtesy to inform while excluding me from the panel discussion related to the SilverLine project, criticized Joseph C Mathew. ‘I came to know about the news through the media and have not yet received any notification’, he said.

The chief secretary had invited me to the debate. When those opposing the project were invited, it felt like a democratic approach on the part of the government. All the details of the event were sent to me from the chief secretary’s office, he said.

As a person was allotted only 10 minutes, I had spoken with the rest of the panel about the issues that needed to be addressed. Whatever be the reason for the current change, they should have shown the courtesy to inform me. The chief secretary, who invited me for the event, should have informed me about the exclusion as well, Joseph said.

K-rail is being run by people who don’t even know how to hold a meeting properly. If the change was made without the knowledge of the chief secretary, then action should be taken against the officials, he criticized.