The Hindu : Kerala News : Vallarpadam project is a landmark, says VS

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Vallarpadam project is a landmark, says VS

Staff Reporter

Land for road and railway line to Vallarpadam Container Transhipment Terminal handed over

— Photo: Vipin Chandran

PATH TO PROGRESS: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan hands over the title deed to T.K. Pushkaran of Edapally, who was among those who surrendered land for the rail connectivity, in the city on Saturday.

KOCHI: The Vallarpadam International Container Transhipment Terminal project will become a landmark in the State’s transition to progress, Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan said here on Saturday. A world-class container terminal will be constructed at Vizhinjam, near Thiruvananthapuram, in three years time, he added.

The Chief Minister was speaking after inaugurating a function organised at Vallarpadam to hand over land acquired for laying a railway line and a road to the terminal set to come up on the island.

He said many lobbies worked overtime to spread rumours that the project would not start as land acquisition faced problems and environmental clearance got delayed.

No yardstick

“The Prime Minister laid the project’s foundation stone in February 2005, despite many preliminary works pending. The State government was able to obtain environmental clearance,” he said. “The obstacles encountered in acquiring land have been meticulously overcome, so that the ground is favourable for construction activities to begin. Now, work should carry on at a war-footing.”

Mr. Achuthanandan said the real estate boom could not be considered the yardstick for societal progress.

“The society will not develop until common people benefit from development.”

The State government has been giving equal emphasis to development and people’s welfare. Sadly, some people have been terming some of my actions anti-development,” he said.

He lauded the large-heartedness shown by people who surrendered land for the road and the railway. They had done so with a heavy heart. But this was an inevitable fallout of development and they had done a great service to society.

The government set a good example by taking measures to rehabilitate them. Apart from giving five to six cents of land and compensation, Rs. 50,000 for taking houses on rent and Rs. 10,000 for shifting. Besides, one person from each family had been offered a job in the terminal.

IT parks

At present, he said, Kerala is seeing unprecedented development in various spheres. Work will begin soon on SmartCity in Kochi. Instead of 30,000 jobs that the previous United Democratic Front government had promised, 90,000 would be created through the project.

He said information technology (IT) parks would soon come up in Cherthala and Ambalapuzha. Work on district-level IT parks would begin this year. Steps had been taken to start a Cyber Park in Kozhikode, on the lines of Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram. Land acquisition for the Kannur airport was on the last lap. A railway coach factory would soon come up in Palakkad.

Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran handed over title deeds to people who surrendered land. Earlier, Mr. Achuthandandan handed over the title deed to P.K. Pushkaran of Edapally.

Law and Ports Minister M. Vijayakumar said that Kerala, a maritime State, would soon have seven ports. The ports located between Vizhinjam and Azheekkal would be developed at a cost of Rs. 12,000 crore.

N. Ramachandran, Chairman, Cochin Port Trust, said the road and the railway line would be ready by November 2009. Public Works Minister Mons Joseph and Fisheries Minister S. Sarma were present.

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