Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

ISRO deal being studied

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Law Minister M. Vijayakumar has said that the Government is examining the legal aspects of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) land deal for the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) and would proceed according to the law.

Talking to presspersons here on Tuesday, the Minister said Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan would make a statement on the subject in the Assembly on Wednesday if he was not hindered by the Opposition like on Tuesday.

Mr. Vijayakumar said the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) Government could not take possession of the Merchiston Estate in 2001 as the term of the Government was ending. The UDF Government and its Revenue Minister K.M. Mani were responsible for the present predicament regarding the estate. Mr. Mani piloted the legislation that amended the provisions of the Kerala Forests (Ecologically Fragile Lands) Ordinance providing for the exclusion of tea estates from the purview of the Act.

He said the Opposition had been disrupting proceedings in the Assembly repeatedly after complaining that the House was not getting enough time to discuss legislation. Speaker K. Radhakrishnan had refused to take up an adjournment motion, as it was neither urgent nor current.

The Speaker told the Opposition that the matter did not even merit to be taken up as a submission. However, the Opposition raised slogans against the Speaker and criticised him at a press conference. It had raised the Kiliroor issue for want of serious and current issues.

He said discussions on the formation of the Salem Railway Division and Kerala’s demands were continuing. The Centre had agreed to increase the length of the railway lines under Palakkad Railway Division by 78 km. There were promises to consider the demands for a railway zone in Kerala and a mega project in Palakkad. Another round of high-level talks was expected to be held soon.

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