Kochi: A section of dominant Catholic Christian clergy has urged the state government to take urgent steps in resolving the long-pending ordeal of over 300 families evicted in Moolampally and distress of rubber farmers reeling under a price crash. In a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Archbishop Joseph Kalat-hiparambil of Varapuzha archdiocese has urged the government to initiate steps to implement the Moolampally package within a month.
If the government fails to take any steps in this regard within a month the church will launch a protest, the letter said. A total of 316 families were evicted from Moolampally on February 6, 2008 as part of the construction of rail and road links to Vallarpadam container transshipment project. Although the evictees were given land at Thuthiyoor the people are unable to construct buildings as the area allocated to them comprised of marshy land. A few persons who have constructed their dwelling units in the area were forced to leave the place as the walls caved in the marshy terrain.
The evictees are also not getting the Rs 5,000 ordered to be paid as monthly rent by the high court for the past six months with the government claiming that it has provided the electricity, water and road for the affected persons. The promise of job for at least one person from each of the evicted families are also remained unfulfilled even as 27 persons out of the 316 evicted families died in the past 11 years.
Alenchery bats for farmers
Cardinal George Alenchery, major archbishop of Syro-Malabar Church meanwhile has urged the government to end its discrimination against the farmers. The government should not turn a blind eye on the sad plight of farmers. The government should declare minimum support price for agriculture products and mitigate the sufferings of farmers. The minimum support price of rubber should be fixed at Rs 200 per kg.
Instead of moratorium for few months, the government should implement a permanent mechanism to write-off loans of the farmers, Cardinal Alenchery said. On the issue of granting title deeds to farmers in the high range areas, he said, the government should ensure that farmers are not made sacrificial goats for environmentalists with vested interests. The failure to provide title deeds to farmers settled in high-ranges for generations deserves condemnation, he said. The restrictions on constructions in high-range areas are challenge, he added.
