Company withdraws from Kerala SilverLine project, K-Rail claims it was sacked
India Today
A company that was assigned work related to a survey of properties as part of the SilverLine project has withdrawn. However, the Kerala Rail Development Corporation has said the contract was terminated as the company's performance was not up to the mark.
A Chennai-based company that was awarded the tender by Kerala Rail Development Corporation Ltd (K-Rail) to place marker stones as part of a survey for the SilverLine semi-high-speed rail project has now withdrawn from the work.
The company- Velciti, has withdrawn from the contract following stiff protest from the people living in the area where survey stones had to be laid.
But K-Rail contradicted the company's statement and said it has terminated the contract with the company as its performance was not up to the mark. The firm was supposed to install the survey stones along the stretches from Kottayam to Ernakulam and Thrissur to Malappuram.
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The work was assigned back in May 2021 for a sum of Rs 40 crore, for the works along the Kottayam-Ernakulam stretch alone. As many as 4,202 concrete poles had to be installed on the stretch and the works were to be finished within six months.
The company maintained that they sent a notice to K-Rail three months back because of the stiff opposition from local residents. The K-Rail project is facing major opposition in the state from the public who, with the support of opposition UDF and BJP are blocking attempts to fix survey stones.
SilverLine project is expected to reduce travel time from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod to around four hours.
