No question of losing land: CM; We are all awake, says Achuthanandan

Follow us:WhatsappFacebookTwitterTelegram.cls-1{fill:#4d4d4d;}.cls-2{fill:#fff;}Google NewsWhile Chief Minister Oommen Chandy reiterated that the state would notlose land to the development projects envisioned in Emerging Kerala initiative,Opposition Leader V S Achuthanandan said that though development wasinevitable, people and natural resources of the state could not beover-exploited.They were both speaking at the environment convention organised by the KeralaParisthithi Aikyavedi here on Monday.At the two-day meet, members of both the Left and Right political parties werebrought together along with the public to a single platform to discuss thevarious environmental issues facing the state, including those havingfar-reaching consequences such as filling of paddy fields and wetlands and theregularisation of the same, land-use policy, protection of forests and theutilisation of natural resources for various uses.“The Chief Minister had said that he would go ahead with Emerging Keralaprojects come what may as if he was issuing a challenge.If the projects are not transparent and aimed at exploiting natural resourceswith profit motive, I would like to tell him that we are all awake and willhave no alternative but to take up the challenge,” said V S Achuthanandan, whodescribed Emerging Kerala more dangerous than the Global Investors Meet of 2003.Congress MLA V T Balram said that declaring a blanket ban on all the EmergingKerala projects was not a right approach to an initiative that would bringeconomic development to the state.“Vested interests will always be present, whether the left or right is in power.The government has to be guided and supported in picking up the projects thatwill have the least impact on environment,” he said.Former minister Benoy Viswom as well as K M Shaji of the Muslim League saidthat the environment was not an investor’s worry.“The decisions are taken by these investors, who are the so-called‘key-holders’ to development.The basic question, as to who are the beneficiaries of these projects andwhether they want it, is often forgotten,” said Benoy Viswom, who pointed outthat it was often the landgrabbers who come in the guise of investors with anamesake project.K M Shaji opined that most development projects in the state were beingimplemented without a long-term vision.“When shawarma caused food poisoning, you ban shawarma.When oil tanker toppled after hitting a median, you remove the median.Wouldn’t the same accident have happened if the tanker had hit a lorry? We arealways working on such instant-management of situations,” he said.Former Finance Minister Thomas Isaac called for a risk-benefit analysis and asocial cost analysis before implementing the projects.He said that our dependency on roads for transport should come down and weshould go in for transportation projects in collaboration with the Railways.first published:January 01, 1970, 05:30 ISTlast updated:January 01, 1970, 05:30 IST
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