Kerala - Alappuzha   

Government begins talks with diocese

ALAPPUZHA: Talks between the State government and the Alappuzha Diocese of the Latin Catholic Church, which has been on an agitation alleging diversion of tsunami funds and neglect of the coastal belt, began here on Sunday.

The talks, which continued late into the night, had Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran and Cooperation Minister G. Sudhakaran representing the Government while a delegation led by Alappuzha Bishop Stephen Athipozhiyil represented the Church.

According to diocese sources, the Church has put forward demands including redefining the concept of Revenue villages for distribution of tsunami funds and creation of ‘revenue areas’ instead so that only those areas affected would receive aid.

The diocese has also sought approval for a coastal development project prepared by it.

The main features of the project, sources said, included repair and development of more than seven bridges in the coastal area, including the Azheekal Bridge that was destroyed in the tsunami.

Repair of several coastal roads, development of a coastal highway, establishment of transformers in areas that do not have adequate power supply and equipping coastal hospitals with at least basic healthcare facilities also figure among the suggestions in the project.

Earlier, a hush-hush visit by Minister G. Sudhakaran to the Bishop House just before the talks got off at the State Guest House had triggered off a controversy. Though the Minister denied the visit, Bishop House officials confirmed that the Minister had met with Bishop Athipozhiyil for nearly 20 minutes.

Diocese authorities, earlier in the day, issued a second pastoral letter in as many weeks on the agitation.

The letter, read out in over 40 churches of the diocese, was issued by Bishop Athipozhiyil and called for intensified protests if the Government failed to keep promises.

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