Kerala - Kottayam   

Call for cancellation of deeds on Metran Kayal

KOTTAYAM: The CPI(ML)-affiliated All India Kranthikari Kissan Sabha (AIKKS) and the Revolutionary Youth Federation of India (RYFI) have called for the cancellation of the deeds executed between the farmers and the promoters of the proposed tourism project at the Metran Kayal polder, off Kumarakom.

Speaking to reporters here, CPI(ML) district secretary V.J. Joy, RYFI State secretary M.K. Dasan and AIKKS district convener P.K. Sivan said despite the recent move to deny green signal to the proposed project, the deeds still remained valid and the promoters of the project were just waiting for an opportunity to re-launch the project.

“It should be remembered that though the government has included it in the Wetland data bank, the Departments of Tourism and Industry have not dropped the project,” they said.

The office-bearers said that it was imperative on the part of the State government to hand over the polder to landless workers so that they would be able to start cultivation there.

Major challenge

Kumarakom and adjoining areas, which formed part of the rich paddy growing areas of Kuttanad, are now facing a major challenge in the form of extensive loss of farm lands to developers who have an eye on quick money, they said.

The State has lost thousands of acres of rich paddy fields to these developers.

Unbridled development of tourism has been taking place breaching the Paddy land and Wetland Conservation Act and has given rise to social tensions as the resort owners have even put obstacles to free movement of people, they said.

Against this backdrop, the AIKKS and RYFI will take out a protest march demanding the distribution of paddy land to landless farmers on September 20.

CPI(ML) central committee member P.J. James will inaugurate the march.

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