The Hindu : `Save capital' movement planned

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jul 21, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

`Save capital' movement planned

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM July 20. The former speaker, M. Vijayakumar, has said he plans to launch a `Save Capital' movement to fight against the ``cruel neglect'' being shown to Thiruvananthapuram by the present Government.

The decision to shift the State Legal Services Authority to Kochi ostensibly due to the request of the High Court Registrar, is but the latest in a string of moves designed to reduce the importance of Thiruvananthapuram. The Law Minister, K.M. Mani, was behind this move reportedly being done to suit the `convenience' of the executive chairman of the Authority, he alleged.

Then there is the case of the National Law University. A related ordinance passed in March 2001 said the headquarters of the proposed University would be in the capital city. Now, under K. V. Thomas, the National Law University will be called the National Law School and it is going to be based in Kochi. This is the same Minister who is bent on shifting the Kerala Institute of Travel and Tourism Studies (KITTS) to Kochi.

Though the government claims it is exerting pressure on the Centre for the development of the city's international airport, the whole issue can be solved if the Chief Minister goes to Delhi and meets the Prime Minister and the Civil Aviation Minister. All that is required for the airport development project is a formal nod from the Centre. Meanwhile flights are being taken away from the capital city to Nedumbassery. Interestingly no flight is being taken from Karipur to Nedumbassery. Ten lakh passengers transit through the Thiruvananthapuram airport while only half that number use the airport near Kochi. Yet, flights to, say, New York is given to Nedumbassery and not to Thiruvananthapuram, he pointed out.

The case of the Technopark in the city is also not different. The state of affairs is such that there is no chairman now for the TRIDA. ``The Chief Minister should urgently intervene to stop this exodus of infrastructure from the capital city and to stop the sustained efforts to reduce the importance of the State's capital,'' he said.

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