THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The LDF Government on Wednesday cleared one more hurdle in setting up the Vizhinjam International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) project with the Opposition UDF promising to co-operate. The co-operation comes on the condition that clarity will be preserved in acquiring land for the project, which the Government has promised to ensure.
Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, addressing the media after an all-party meeting to discuss the port project, said procedures for floating fresh global tenders will be complete by 2010 middle.
Allaying fears about land acquisition, the Chief Minister said that the Government would ensure that the process was transparent.
Congress Deputy Leader in the Assembly G. Karthikeyan MLA, Kovalam MLA George Mercier and Nemom MLA N. Shakthan represented the Congress at the meeting. Opposition Leader Oommen Chandy could not attend. Karthikeyan said that maintaining transparency in the land acquisition process was paramount.
``So far there has been clarity in this matter. We said that land should be acquired and the basic infrastructure set up before inviting global firms to construct the port,’’ Karthikeyan said.
REHABILITATION PACKAGE NEEDED: George Mercier, in a petition to the Chief Minister, demanded that the promise made by the Government that less than 100 houses would have to be demolished for setting up basic infrastructure should be kept. He also urged the Government to announce a package for rehabilitating the evacuated people.
The package, according to him, should provide the extant market price for evicted landowners, PWD rates for re-building homes similar to the ones demolished, land within one kilometre with water supply, electricity and transportation, six months’ rent until new homes are constructed and compensation to those who lose jobs because of the eviction.
Maps and alignments were circulated at the meeting. The survey for the land acquisition will begin soon, Port officials said.
Ministers M. Vijayakumar, K.P. Rajendran and other officials were present.
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