THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The discussion on the pros and cons of the SilverLine project, organized by K-Rail, will take place at 11 a.m. on April 28th at Hotel Vivanta in Palayam, Thiruvananthapuram. Subodh Kant Jain, member, Railway Board Technical (Engineering) and former general manager, Central Railway, Dr Kuncheria P. Isaac, former Vice-Chancellor, Technological University, and SN Raghuchandran Nair, President, Trivandrum Chamber of Commerce, will speak in support of the project.

Alok Kumar Verma, Retired Chief Engineer, Railways and former head of SYSTRA, which conducted the feasibility study for SilverLine, Dr RVG Menon and environmental researcher Sreedhar Radhakrishnan will speak against it.

Mohan Menon, a senior professor at the National Railway Academy in Baroda, a former Additional DRM of the Palakkad Division and former Chief Personnel Officer at the South West Railway, will be the moderator. There will be no K-Rail representatives. 20 people will be invited. The discussion will be broadcast live on channels. Ministers and officials will not attend. Ministers and officials will not attend the discussion. Meanwhile, those who have been affected by the project have not been invited.

Meanwhile, the exclusion of social observer Joseph C. Mathews from the panel of those opposing the SilverLine in the debate has become controversial. However, K-Rail said that Joseph C. Mathews was not included in the panel and that they had only enquired whether he could attend the discussion on April 28. The Movement for People's Friendly Development will hold an alternative debate at the Press Club on April 28. Joseph C Mathews will participate in this discussion. Dr. CP Rajendran, Geologist, Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore will inaugurate the event. Former Chairman of the Disaster Management Authority Dr KG Tara, journalist M Suchitra, KK Rema MLA, economist Dr M Kabir, environmental activist K Sahadevan and Prof Sivaprasad will speak.