The State Cabinet on Wednesday, in response to a petition by the Moolampilly Coordination Committee, sanctioned Rs. 4.5 crores for rehabilitation of the Moolampilly evictees.
Francis Kalathunkal, general convenor of the committee, told The Hindu that the Chief Minister had personally told him about the Cabinet decision.
Reminding the Chief Minister of the UDF government's promise of early rehabilitation of the families evicted for making the way to the Vallarpadam container transhipment terminal, the committee had presented him a 13-point petition. The demands included the rents due for six months (at the rate of Rs. 5000 a month for each family for finding alternative accommodation until they could build their own houses in the allocated lands); Rs. 75000 for piling work for house construction for each family; and water, power and other amenities to the lands allotted.
Soon after Wednesday's cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister had asked Mr. Kalathunkal to meet him, and he was told that the Cabinet had decided to release Rs. 4.5 crores for the rehabilitation package.
The former LDF government on March 19, 2008, announced a Moolampilly package. However, this was not fully implemented. When the Oommen Chandy government took over, it announced on June 6 this year that the packaged would be implemented as part of its 100-day programme. On June 16, Mr. Chandy visited Moolampilly and, at a ceremony, handed over economic assistance to the tune of Rs. 4 crores as well as pattayam on the rehabilitation land to the evictees.
However, over the months, the government had not allotted the money for the rest of the rehabilitation work.
