The Hindu : Kerala News : 20 acres for IIST at upper sanatorium

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Wednesday, Dec 19, 2007
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Kerala

Kerala

20 acres for IIST at upper sanatorium

VS says no dispute in Cabinet over allocation of land

Land to be handed over by the end of the month
Not aware of any IIST letter, says Minister

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Cabinet on Tuesday decided to allocate 20 acres of land in the upper sanatorium area of Ponmudi to the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) for the development of various institutional facilities. The institute proposes to develop 13 facilities, including a planetarium at the site.

Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan, who briefed press persons after the Cabinet meeting, said that there was no dispute in the Cabinet over allocation of the land. Reports to the contrary were fabricated with the objective of preventing the establishment of the institute in the State.

Denying that the IIST had written to the government seeking land in the Ponmudi Tea Estate, the Chief Minister said that the institute had only asked for land at the upper sanatorium area in addition to the 100 acres given earlier in Thennur village. This was being provided.

Mr. Achuthanandan said that discussions between the IIST authorities and the three-member panel constituted by the government, comprising Revenue Minister K. P. Rajendran; Law Minister M. Vijayakumar; and Chief Secretary P. J. Thomas, were continuing.

He did not know why Forest Minister Benoy Viswom had said that the land at Ponmudi Estate could not be allocated as it was an area notified as environmentally fragile land.

The Revenue Minister told the media that order allocating 20 acres at the upper sanatorium would be issued soon and the area handed over before the end of this month so that the institute could start functioning in January.

It would not be taking up construction immediately on the 100 acres handed over to them earlier, the Revenue Minister said.

Mr. Rajendran said that no meeting had taken place between the three-member committee and the IIST authorities on Saturday.

He was also not aware of the letter allegedly written by IIST to the Chief Secretary asking for land in the Ponmudi Estate. The Chief Secretary had not mentioned about any such letter this morning. He would inquire about the matter and state the position later.

Asked why the government was providing land for IIST at Ponmudi when the institute had only advertised for land near the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and the Liquid Propulsion Centre with access to the national highway, the Minister said that there were difficulties in acquiring land in populated areas.

Meanwhile, the letter from B. N. Suresh, director of the institute, which was leaked to the media, said that the government had convened a meeting chaired by the Chief Minister on Saturday and the government was in favour of offering 100 acres of suitable land in the Ponmudi Estate.

The letter sought allocation of 35 acres of land at the 19th hairpin bend on Ponmudi road and 65 acres on the other side of the road. The area, it maintained, was excess land.

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