The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Government asked to allot 850 hectares

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 11, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Government asked to allot 850 hectares

By Our Staff Reporter

RAMANATHAPURAM, APRIL 10. Close on the heels of conditional clearance given by the Union Environment and Forests Ministry, the Tuticorin Port Trust (TPT), nodal agency for the Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project (SSCP), has started preliminary works to start the project.

Though the project is yet to get the Union Cabinet's nod, TPT officials have approached the State Government to allot 850 hectares. Sources told The Hindu that the TPT demanded 812.77 hectares of revenue land from Sri Kothandaramar Temple, near Rameswaram, to Danushkodi including areas washed away in the 1964 cyclone. This stretch was needed for reclamation facilities. The site would be used for safe disposal of dredging materials extracted from the sea.

The TPT was willing to pay rent to the State Government for the land.

The nodal agency also wanted 37 hectares, owned by the Revenue Department, near Kothandaramar Temple, for providing boat and ship repairing facility, construction of a jetty and providing monitoring facilities.

Land at Mandapam

The TPT has also sought 5 acres of patta or poromboke land at Mandapam and Rameswaram for the construction of a permanent administrative office, a guesthouse, staff quarters and temporary shelters for workers.

Besides this, the TPT has sought permission to use the first floor of the Rameswaram taluk office on rent during the period of implementation of the project.

It has sent a proposal to the Union Railway Ministry asking it hand over 91.25 hectares.

The Railways owns the long stretch starting from Rameswaram to Danushkodi.

The stretch, which had a meter gauge railway track till a cyclone struck in 1964, remained vacant for so long.

The officials of the TPT have established a one-to-one contact to take over land as early as possible.

But the State Government has to revoke the ban it imposed on the use of government land in Rameswaram and Ramanathapuram taulks.

Encroachments

The ban was imposed about 40 years ago. The land, sought by the TPT, is now encroached by fisherfolk.

Though the State Government stand is yet to be known. Meanwhile, the officials held a series of discussions with the Collector, K. Sellamuthu, and the District Revenue Officer, V. Srinivasan.

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