Vadakara MP Mullappally Ramachandran has expressed resentment at the manner in which the Union Ministry of Urban Development had chosen the 500 cities and towns in the country for AMRUT.
In a memorandum submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Wednesday, Mr. Ramachandran said it was distressing to note that there was ‘utter discrimination’ towards some of the towns in Kerala, which were the oldest and historically and commercially important.
He said Thalassery and Vadakara municipalities, in Kannur and Kozhikode districts respectively, and also in the Vadakara Lok Sabha constituency had been left out of the project. Both the towns are known for maritime activities from ancient times.
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“Spices from the State reached their West Asian and European destinations mainly through these towns. Even today these towns are commercial hubs in Malabar. Thalassery is the second municipality in Kerala, established in 1866,” the MP said.
He said he was not aware of the criteria under which the towns in the State had been identified under the scheme. He appealed to the Prime Minister to “revisit the proposal and include Thalassery and Vadakara towns in north Kerala under AMRUT scheme.”
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