KOCHI: The work on the Pachalam Rail Over Bridge has resumed on Thursday amidst police protection after the police arrested a group of persons protesting against the project under the banner of Janakeeya Samara Samithi.
The place witnessed high drama as nearly 100 people tried to prevent the workers employed by the contractors to resume the work at 8.30 in the morning.
The situation turned tense even though a huge continent of police was deployed in the area with protestors including women and children tried to disrupt the work.
The district collector then held discussions with the representatives of Samara Samithi spearheading the agitation and the work was stopped temporarily.
The protestors insisted that the district administration should give a written undertaking that work will be resumed only after fulfilling the demands raised by the Action Council.
The district collector M.G. Rajamanickam declined to provide any such undertaking and the discussions failed. As the protests resumed around 3 p.m. police moved in and arrested protestors. As soon as the protestors were removed work also resumed at the place.
“The decision to restart the work follows a High Court order and the police will provide security to the construction site and also for the workers”, the collector said. The collector also said that interferences from outside will be not be allowed anymore, the collector said.
The Action Council leaders however said that they will not allow the construction. “We will not let the work to resume and are ready to face the consequences’’, said Abiju Suresh, general convener of the Janakeeya Samara Samithi.
The Samithi is on a warpath against the project alleging lack of transparency in the RoB venture including rehabilitation scheme for the people affected by the project.
The Samithi also alleged that the bridge will also hit the development of a local temple in the area. The collector however said that the project will not hit the temple in any manner.
Meanwhile Vaduthala CPM unit faces criticism
The leadership of the Vaduthala local committee of the CPM came for sharp criticism for its failure in organising a clear opposition to the Pachalam Railway Over Bridge project during the three-day conference of the local committee ended few days ago.
All branch committees coming under the local committee criticised the leadership for its failure to make pro-active measures to oppose the project.
The delegates also pointed out that the failure of the CPM had enabled the BJP and Sangh Parivar outfits to seize the initiative and be in the forefront of the agitation against the RoB project, sources said.
