Postal strike: State not to invoke ESMA

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, DEC. 16. The State Government does not propose to invoke the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) to tackle the 11-day-old postal strike. The Fisheries and Culture Minister, Mr. T.K. Ramakrishnan, who is deputising for the Chief Minister, Mr. E.K. Nayanar, told a press conference here today that the State Government was fully in agreement with the demands raised by the postal employees and did not wish to use the police to suppress their agitation. The Chief Minister himself had clarified this, he pointed out.

Mr. Ramakrishnan, who was replying to questions from presspersons, said the State administration would take steps in the matter only in accordance with the general policy framework of the LDF Government. He recalled that in a similar situation in 1967-69, when the CPI(M)-led seven-party alliance was in power, Left leaders had even staged a massive protest march against the Central Government's decision to put down the strike by postal employees. The Left, he said, did not approve of putting down popular agitations using the police.

Central team to be sought

The Minister said the State Government had decided to request the Centre to depute a team of experts to examine the reported damage to the Mullaperiyar dam on account of the recent tremors. The State Science and Technology Department had put forward such a suggestion and the Government had decided to accept it, he explained. The Minister said the findings of the team of officials from the State Irrigation Department would also be made available to the Central team for its perusal. According to press reports, the team had detected fissures in the dam. A new team of experts from the State Government would be sent to the dam site to make further studies on the impact of the tremors, he said.

Mr. Ramakrishnan said any attempt to increase the height of the dam under the current circumstances would cause serious harm to the areas downstream. The State Government would present the new situation before the Centre as and when the demand for raising the dam's height comes up again, he added.

Snake park

On the closure of the snake park at Parassinikkadavu and the death of several wild animals consequent on a raid by the Wildlife Department officials, the Minister said the action had been carried out by the officials concerned on the basis of a directive from the Central Zoo Authority (CZA). The society which was running the snake park had not given satisfactory replies to the queries from the CZA.

The Supreme Court had also issued a stern order seeking closure of all unauthorised wildlife parks, he said and wanted to know why the press remained silent about the illegal detention of the wild animals at the snake park even as it raised a hue and cry over the closure of the park. Asked whether the Government was not aware of the illegal manner in which the park was being run, he said the authorities concerned would certainly have been aware of that.

Mr. Ramakrishnan said the Government was trying to get an alternative site for the Thrissur Zoo. There was opposition to the present zoo at Chembukkavu in Thrissur town and the effort was to get land with the Forest Department at Puthoor. This was being done on instructions from the CZA, he said.

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