Hundreds of people from all walks of life became part of the human chain formed under the banner of Kerala Karshaka Sangham (KKS) in the district on Thursday evening demanding that Rs 1840 crore Kuttanad package be implemented in a corrupt-free and in accordance with the Dr. M.S. Swaminthan report.
KKS State president and CPI (M) Central Committee member, E.P. Jayarajan became the first link in the human chain at the Municipal Square here. The chain in the district, which began at Municipal Square by taking of pledge at 5 p.m., was spread over to Kallupalam and to Pazhaveedu in the town and extended till Kidangara, the district border in Main Central (MC) Road through Kaithavanamukku.
Later a meeting organised at the Municipal Square had to abandon mid-way due to summer showers drenching the audience and those in the open air stage. Later in a statement, Mr. Jayarajan called for an urgent intervention of the Chief Minister in the issues related to the implementation of the Kutanad package and also immediately convene the Kuttanad Prosperity Council, which oversees the implementation of the Rs.1,840-crore Kuttanad Package. He also accused the UDF Government to turning the Kuttanad package into a forum for misusing money in the treasury. “The package is in the doldrums due to the lapse in the execution and inefficiency in its implementation. Government was not showing any interest in implementing the project. The Irrigation and PWD departments had set up walls of boulders and concrete slabs in the name of bund construction in paddy polders defeating the essence of the package. This will weaken the bio system of the Vembanad lake,” he warned.
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G. Sudhakaran, MLA joined the human chain at Kalarkode, while C.K. Sadasivan, MLA joined at Ramankary in the district. R. Rajesh, MLA, CPI (M) district secretary, C.B. Chandrababu, Punnapra-Vayalar uprising veteran, P.K. Chandranandan became links in the chain at the Municipal Square itself.
The chain was about 24.5 km long in the district. Similar human chain took shape in the districts of Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts also.