: Four years after, they were offered a dream package for making way for a ‘project of national importance’, nothing has changed for the 316 families in Moolampilly.
Though the State government had announced a deal under its 100-day programme to rehabilitate the families evicted for the Vallarpadam project, the package still remains on paper. The evictees are now taking their fight for survival to the next level. This time, they are slated to approach the voters of Aruvikkara constituency in Thiruvanathapuram ahead of the by-election on June 27.
In protest to the inordinate delay in implementing the package, the evictees are holding a march to the Secretariat in Thiruvanathapuram on June 22, which will culminate with a visit to the Aruvkkara constituency.
“The new campaign, focusing on the inability of both the ruling party and the opposition in rehabilitating the evictees here, is particularly significant as the election campaign at Aruvikkara is based on the politics of development,” said Francis Kalathungal, general convenor, Moolampilly Coordination Committee.
The package had offered four cents to each family, compensation for the land and building lost to acquisition and employment for a member in each family, depending on their educational qualification after the container terminal project was commissioned.
According to the organisation, just 38 families have been rehabilitated while the rest are left to live in temporary sheds or rented houses.
Similarly, promises to help arrange loans on the title deeds of the rehabilitation land have not been honoured as the allocations were made with a rider that the transaction of land will be allowed only after 25 years. “With this, they cannot even avail loans on the title deeds of the rehabilitation land, forget about selling the land to third persons in case of emergency,” they pointed out.
Also, offers to provide rent till basic amenities were readied at the rehabilitation sites also turned empty along with the promise to reimburse 12 per cent deducted from the compensation amount as Central Income Tax.
