The Hindu : Kerala News : CWC to build warehouse at Purakkadu

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CWC to build warehouse at Purakkadu

Staff Reporter

KOTTAYAM: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has said that a centre of the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) will be set up in Wayanad.

At a meet-the-press programme organised by the Kottayam Press Club on Saturday, Mr. Chandy said the Central government had agreed in principle to establish the new centre on a plot of 200 acres that should be handed over by the State government.

“An amount of Rs.15 crore has been sanctioned for establishing the medical facility. The District Collector of Wayanad has identified three plots for the purpose,” he said.

(The autonomous institute is under the administrative control of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.)

Mr. Chandy said the decision to establish the medical centre was made to overcome the dearth of state-of-the-art hospital facilities in the district. “At present, Kozhikode is the nearest location for the people of Wayanad requiring proper medical attention. A favourable decision was taken by the Central government after understanding the discomfort faced by the public that has been highlighted time and again by M.I. Shanavas, MP,” he said.

He said the Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) would construct a 4,000-tonne godown in two acres of land at Purakkadu village in Ambalappuzha. “Union Minister of State for Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution K.V. Thomas has announced the sanctioning of the project. Land required for the project has been identified from the land bank,” he said.

Mr. Chandy pointed out that the construction of the godown was intended to tackle the various challenges faced by the agricultural sector of the State. “Scarcity of labour and combine harvesters in Kuttanad have left paddy farmers in a predicament. In addition, the scarcity of proper storage facilities resulting in severe crop loss is the greatest challenge faced by the Civil Supplies Department,” he said.

He said a meeting would be convened in Thiruvananthapuram on June 6 to decide on the rehabilitation package for those who were evicted at Moolampally for the Vallarpadom International Container Transshipment Terminal project.

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