The Hindu : Kerala News : State to take over excess land: VS

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State to take over excess land: VS

Staff Reporter

Says government firm on its resolve to find land for 4.5 lakh landless families

Photo: C. Ratheesh kumar

Leading from the front: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, with shored up security, inspecting the Independence Day parade at Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday. —

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan said here on Friday that the government was firm in its resolve to find land for nearly 4.5 lakh landless families in the State.

Delivering his Independence Day address, Mr. Achuthanandan said the government would identify and take over excess land for this purpose. Nearly 10,000 acres of government land recovered from land grabbers will be distributed to the landless poor.

Houses will be built for the homeless under the EMS Total Housing scheme. The poor will be provided health insurance coverage. The government will create a new department for the welfare of minorities.

He said terrorist outfits were working “secretly and visibly” in Kerala. The people should help the government in fighting terrorism by alienating extremist and divisive elements.

Mr. Achuthanandan said sexual crimes against women, including minors, were on the rise. Mobile phones were being used to blackmail women and create scandals. This “decadent situation” had put a “burden of shame” on the Kerala society. Women were being victimised in the name of dowry. The Chief Minister said the Union government had undermined the Public Distribution System in Kerala by grading beneficiaries as those above and below poverty line. It used the differentiation to deny food grains to Kerala. He blamed deficient rainfall and partly the Centre (for reducing Kerala’s share of power from the Central pool) for the current energy crisis. The Chief Minister said Kerala was on the fast track of development.

The International Container Transhipment Terminals at Vizhinjam and Vallarpadam would soon become a reality. Land was being acquired for the proposed Kannur airport.

The Kollam-Kottappuram waterway had been commissioned and work on the Kovalam-Neelaswaram waterway was under way. Information Technology parks would come up in Alappuzha (at Ambalappuzha and Cherthala), Kannur (Eramam), Kasaragod (Cheemeni), Kollam, Palakkad, Thrissur and Kozhikode districts.

He said agriculture production had gone up. The State should become self-sufficient in milk, poultry, pulses and livestock products.

The Chief Minister warned the Centre against signing international accords which could jeopardise India’s sovereignty. He hoisted the national flag and took the salute.

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