A help desk will be set up at the village office in Karassery grama panchayat to address the anxieties of residents through whose land Gas Authority of India Ltd. (GAIL) is laying a natural gas pipeline. Steps are also being taken to formulate a suitable rehabilitation package for those who own less than 10 cents of land in Mukkom municipality.
These decisions were taken after District Collector U.V. Jose visited Karassery and Mukkom on Tuesday. The visit follows a meeting attended by Industries Minister A.C. Moideen on Monday when leaders of the anti-GAIL pipeline agitation committee and people’s representatives were present.
V.K. Vinod, president, Karassery grama panchayat, told The Hindu that 10 people who own less than 10 cents of land were likely to be affected by the project. Of them, only one person’s dwelling was likely to be demolished to lay the pipeline. A team comprising the Deputy Collector, two tahsildars, and a deputy tahsildar would visit the village on Wednesday to discuss their grievances and formulate a rehabilitation package. The help desk would start functioning at the Kakkad village office on Wednesday and revenue officials and GAIL staff would be present there, he added.
Meanwhile, V. Kunjan, chairman, Mukkom municipality, said that six people who owned less than 10 cents were likely to be affected. The Collector interacted with the residents, who expressed their apprehension about the project. Biju, one of them, said that as per the present alignment, the pipeline would pass through middle of his house and asked if it was possible to change it. The Collector promised to address his grievance. Some others too demanded a change in alignment and said that densely populated areas should be avoided while laying the pipeline. The municipal authorities, however, stuck to their guns that the current plan was the most suited and there was no need to change it, Mr. Kunjan said. He claimed that the residents were satisfied with the Collector’s replies.
Members of the Indian Union Muslim League walked out of the meeting in protest against registering of non-bailable cases against 10 people who are part of the anti-GAIL agitation. Though 33 people were remanded to police custody in connection with cases related to violence, the District and Sessions Court granted bail to 21 of them.
