The Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) has urged the government to enact legislation to ensure controls on land use.
At a press conference here on Thursday, KSSP State president Kavumbai Balakrishnan, general secretary T.P. Sreesankar, and former president T.P. Kunhikannan said most of the major projects taken up by the LDF government had become controversial over land use.
Crisis-ridden schemes
A State-wide campaign by KSSP from April 22 to 30 had revealed that the mangrove forest issue in Kannur, the conversion of tribal land into brick kilns in Wayanad, the Kinaloor land issue in Kozhikode, the mining of clay in Thrissur, Athirapally scheme and the Sabari rail line were facing resistance over utilisation of land.
They said the Parishad had submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, urging the government to declare land as public property in the State. The memorandum proposed strict control on land use under private ownership. Highlighting the need to evolve an environment- friendly transport policy, Mr. Balakrishnan said Kerala should avoid the BOT route for road development and limit the width of National Highways to 30 metres. Families evicted for road widening should be properly rehabilitated.
