Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

‘ISRO should accept government offer’

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) should accept the government offer to provide land free of cost for setting up the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology in Ponmudi, Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy has said.

Mr. Chandy told presspersons here on Friday that ISRO should not insist on getting the land offered by an individual for setting up the institute. ISRO wrote to Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan on December 16, seeking land at a concessional rate for the institute. Since the government had offered land free of cost, it should accept the proposal.

The United Democratic Front was of the firm view that the State should not lose the institute, but it had not budged from demands for resignation of Forests Minister Benoy Viswom and a thorough investigation into the deal to buy a portion of Merchiston Estate, he said.

He accused the government of resorting to anti-democratic steps in the elections to the Pariyaram medical college.

The UDF would organise a get-together of voters of the Pariyaram cooperative society at the Panchayat Association Hall here on October 25 in protest against the denial of right to cast their franchise. The voters would present their identity cards and other documents before the public to prove their genuineness.

He said the Public Works Department should take over 10,000 km of other district roads entrusted to the local self-government institutions, so that their maintenance could be expedited. Public Works Minister Mons Joseph should also take steps to develop the State and the National highways. The Centre had agreed to give the amount spend on land acquisition. The government should accept the support agreement scheme, to collect toll, for developing highways and bypasses, he said.

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