ALAPPUZHA: The Eco tourism project which was announced by the previous government at Purakad Panchayat even allocating Rs 2cr in the budget has been a non-starter. After four long years, a team of officials from the Kerala State Forest Development Corporation, Kerala Agricultural University, Fisheries College, Animal Husbandry Department and Rice Research Institute Mankombu had visited Smrithi Vanam and prepared an action plan for the project as an initial step. But the Kerala state forest development corporation (KSFDC), the implementing agency, says it is no longer with them.
The people of Purakad are now calling for a vigilance probe into the utilization of the fund sanctioned by the government in the budget for the project. It was in the 2012 budget that the then finance minister KM Mani had set aside Rs 2cr for the project.
The project was meant to be implemented in 640 acres of land that was identified by the government for the Smrithi Vanam project 22 years ago. The proposed land included historically acclaimed places like the temple of Karumadikuttan (Buddha statue), Kumarakodi at Pallana - the final resting place of great poet Kumaranasan and Kunjan Nambiar memorial. Peter Fernandez, Divisional Manager, KSFDC confirmed that the project was discarded and the fund diverted to other projects.
