29th May 2015

- The New Indian Express

Sivakasi Rehabilitation-model

A Sivakasi-model cracker manufacturers society will come up at Thuravoor for rehabilitating about 1,500 cracker manufacturers in the locality.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has approved the project submitted by sub-collector D Balamurali.

“A co-operative society will be set up under the district collector for rehabilitating 1,500 cracker manufacturing workers at Thuravoor area. They will be rehabilitated toeing the line with the Sivakasi model,” Chandy said.

On the excess land in R-block at Kuttanad, he said it will be given back to 217 landless farmers there.Though earlier the government had given the excess land to 217 farmers, they lost it following the foul play of Kuttamangalam Co-operative Bank and real estate mafia. The government has started procedures for taking over the land from the mafia and the land will be given back to the farmers after completing all legal formalities,Chandy said.

For the procurement of coconut husk, the coir workers in the district will get Rs 1.30 per husk. They will get the amount apart from their daily wages, he said. The Chief Minister announced that Kunchan Nambiar memorial museum will be set up at Ambalappuzha. A sum of Rs 29 crore has been sanctioned for constructing Mundakkal bridge and the state government will soon give the nod for the Rs 11.03 crore for Arattupuzha Tsunami project.
The Nerekadavu bridge construction proposal will also begin soon, he added.Chandy said the Health Department has been directed to buy more medicines from the Kerala State Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Limited. He said that the Malabar Cements’ Pallippuram unit will be re-opened on May 26 and the sale of cements will also be launched on the inaugural day.

He said that all fishermen, who had lost their houses following sea erosion, will be given new houses, which would be constructed by the Fisheries Department.

Relaxation of norms will be allowed while constructing such houses for the fishermen.The balance vacant seats which are available in the Fisheries Technical High School at Arthunkal, will be allotted to non-fishermen community, after allotting seats to the children from fishermen community.

However, the children of the non-fishermen will not get the special financial assistance being given to the children of fishermen, Chandy said.The Chinese nets in the Kollam-Kottapuram waterway will be removed with the help of the fishermen.

The presence of these nets are the major hindrance for the opening of the waterway for the movement of cargo, he said. The state government will also soon clear the dues in connection with the paddy procurement from Kuttanad.