The Hindu : New Delhi News : Kuttanad: VS meets Manmohan

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Kuttanad: VS meets Manmohan

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here on Friday and returned confident that the Rs.1,840-crore Kuttanad package, recommended by the Swaminathan commission, will be finalised soon.

Briefing mediapersons after the meeting, Mr. Achuthanandan said the package would be entirely Centrally funded and the State government would not have to cough up 25 per cent of the bill as generally perceived.

Invitation extended

Mr. Achuthanandan met Dr. Singh primarily to invite him to lay the foundations of four prized projects slated to come up in the State – the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, the rail coach factory and a new premises of Kalamandalam University that was recently declared a Deemed University.

Dr. Singh said he would try to visit the State towards the end of June or early July, Mr. Achuthanandan said. An earlier date was not possible as Dr. Singh had just undergone a cataract operation and had been advised minimal travel.

Memorandum

Mr. Achuthanandan also forwarded to Dr. Singh a memorandum submitted by 500 Indian labourers agitating against exploitation in the U.S. by a shipyard.

In their memorandum, the workers alleged that the Indian Embassy in Washington had not been helpful in taking up their case.

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