LS member seeks railway project in Kerala

Lok Sabha member V K Sreekandan has urged the central government to start a railways-related project at the 236 acres of unutilised land parcel in Kerala's Palakkad district that was acquired by the railways ministry more than ten years ago for setting up a rail coach factory.

The land parcel, located in Kanjikode in Palakkad and close to the railway line, remains unutilised as the plans for the proposed rail coach factory did not take off as expected.

Sreekandan, who represents Palakkad constituency in the Lok Sabha, told PTI that railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has given a positive signal regarding the proposal for utilising the land parcel.

During a meeting with the minister in the national capital on Thursday, he mentioned that the railways can look at any project at the location which will also help create employment opportunities for people.

The minister assured that he will seriously look into the matter, Sreekandan, who is a Congress member, said.

A compound wall was built at a cost of Rs 7 crore after the acquisition of the land parcel by the railways and no other activity has happened there, he said.