Kerala - Alappuzha   

Coastal development forum plans satyagraha

ALAPPUZHA: Protesting the delay in completion of repair of Chethi bridge, the Chethi Coastal Development Forum, a body supported by the Latin Catholic Church, will launch a relay satyagraha from Monday.

According to a release issued by the Forum, the repair on the bridge was delayed for more than 18 months, though the bridge on the Alappuzha-Cherthala coast is used by thousands of commuters every day. However, the release made it apparent that the delay in the repair was not the only reason behind the protest.

The area falls under the constituency of Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac with whom the Alappuzha diocese of the Latin Catholic Church has been engaged in a war of words over the last one month.

The release, questioning the delay in the work, also alleged that Mr. Isaac had promised that the work would be completed by December 2006 and opened for traffic. The State government, in the truce talks held on September 23, had also agreed to finish the work before October 31.

However, both these promises were not kept, the Forum alleged, adding that its demands during the relay protest would include speedy implementation of tsunami rehabilitation projects, Arogya Theeram scheme, tsunami scholarship scheme and also repair of other roads in the area which had been damaged after the bridge was closed.

Monday’s protest programmes will begin with rallies from different coastal areas reaching Chethi Bridge where a public meeting would be held.

The Catholic Fishing Workers’ Union president Monsignor Paul Arackal will inaugurate the satyagraha.

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