The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : State seeks changes in draft CZM provisions

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Wednesday, Jul 09, 2008
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Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

State seeks changes in draft CZM provisions

Staff Reporter

VS says draft notification has proposals harmful to fisher folk

‘Investors will exploit coastal areas’
Fisher folk, trade unions concerned

V.S. Achuthanandan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State government is of the view that loopholes in the Centre’s draft Coastal Zone Management (CZM) notification should be plugged to prevent exploitation of coastal areas and their resources, Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has said.

Replying to questions in the Assembly on Tuesday, he said the State government was against provisions that could marginalise the fisher folk or those associated with the sea and coast and their livelihood and employment. The draft notification had loopholes that could enable investors in the tourism and construction sectors to exploit the coastal areas and their resources.

Mr. Achuthanandan said the fisher folk and representatives of trade unions had raised their concern over some provisions. The government conveyed the drawbacks to the Centre on June 26.

In a written reply to another question, he said construction of houses for fisher folk and other structures could not be taken up within 200 metres from the high tide line under the Coastal Regulation Zone III rules. To mitigate the problems faced by the fisher folk living near the coast, the State had asked the Centre to revise the rules.

Plan projects

The State has submitted projects estimated at Rs. 40,422 crore to the Planning Commission for approval for the 11th Five Year Plan, the Chief Minister said in reply to another question. The government expects Rs. 3,175.65 crore as grant and Rs. 7,529.87 crore as loan. A sum of Rs. 4,861 crore has been earmarked for foreign-aided projects during the Plan period.

River-link project

The Chief Minister informed the House that the State had opposed the Pampa-Achenkoil-Vyppar Link Project. The State had said that water in the Pampa and the Achenkoil was sufficient only for its needs. The Centre had informed Tamil Nadu that the project could be implemented only with the concurrence of Kerala and it could not be considered a priority link.

The government is considering setting up of an administrative tribunal on the lines of the Central Administrative Tribunal for addressing service problems and complaints of State government employees, Mr. Achuthanandan said.

The State Human Rights Commission has taken up 231 cases after the Left Democratic Front came to power, the Chief Minister said. Steps have been taken to acquire 137 acres (one acre = 0.4 hectare) of land for the construction of the new terminal of the Kozhikode airport.

Ration cards

Food and Civil Supplies Minister C. Divakaran informed the House that there were 70,25,874 ration-card holders in the State. Of them, 14,90,444 were BPL (below the poverty line) card holders and 49,43,241 APL (above the poverty line) card holders. Steps were being taken to issue new ration cards.

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