Kottayam: In an allegation against the district administration and the railways, Deepthi action council which is spearheading the agitation against the Sabari rail alignment project says that the survey activities for the project were conducted without adhering to the norms laid out while conducting similar activities. The action council says that some of the officials, with the support of the police, visited certain places in the Thidanadu panchayath and conducted the survey of the land of private parties without giving prior notices.
“When we objected, they slapped cases against a few of us for hindering their official duty”, Tony Thengumpallil, Chairman of Deepthi action council told DC. He said that when the action council met the district Collector on February 9, it demanded that the environment impact assessment study be held before any such survey activities were held.
“However, no such study was held so far. According to the norms, certain conditions should be met before the survey activities are held,” Mr Tomy said. The agitation against the taking over of the land for the Sabari rail alignment completed 5 years on March 9. More than 500 families belonging to the Karoor, Bharananganam, Thalapalam and Thidanadu panchayaths are facing the threat of losing their lands or houses due to the project. The action council is agitating demanding that the Sabari rail alignment be changed in Vezhanganam, Deepthi, Ambaranirsppu, Chathankulam and a few other places near Pala.
