The Cabinet on Thursday decided to appoint former Chief Secretary P. Prabhakaran as one man commission to draw up a package for the development of Kasaragod district.
Mr. Prabhakaran is to examine the scope for development of the district and submit proposals within six months, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told the media after a special meeting of the Cabinet. The district completed 25 years of its existence on Thursday.
The Chief Minister recalled that the KPCC (I) president Ramesh Chennithala, who had undertaken a five day Santhi Yatra in the district, had made some suggestions to address the backwardness of the district. The decision to appoint the Commission was taken on the basis of that. At the time of formation of the district 25 years ago, a Commission headed by Chandrabhanu had submitted recommendations for development of the district which had been carried out.
Mr. Chandy said that special measures would be taken to check violence in Kasaragod district. Considering the circumstances, the Cabinet had approved a special package sought by the police after detailed examination. Creation of 175 posts, purchase of vehicles and establishment of new communication facilities were proposed under the package. The total cost would be Rs. 5.85 crore.
Replying to a question, the Chief Minister said that the investigation into the murder of Abdul Shukkur in Kannur was on course. More than a murder, it was a planned execution of a 21-year old youth in an open field. The time when the police arrested people on the basis of list of accused provided by the CPI (M) was over. Apprehension of the accused in murder cases like that of T. P. Chandrasekharan was getting delayed because the police were looking for the real culprits. “The guilty will not be spared. All wanting the rule of law should cooperate with the investigations. The investigations should not be taken as personal or political.”
Our Kasaragod Staff Reporter adds:
People from various walks of life have hailed the State Cabinet decision to address the backwardness of the district and in-principal agreement to accept recommendations of the National Human Rights Commission for the endosulfan victims and said the move should be viewed as a “birthday gift” for the economically backward district on its 28th anniversary day on Thursday.
The State Cabinet decision to appoint a commission by retired Chief Secretary P. Prabhakaran, who was also Kasaragod Collector, to submit a report on development needs of the district within six months and allocation of Rs. 5.85 crore to upgrade the police forces in view of the recurring communal clashes should be viewed as a “birthday gift” for the district, said Kerala Pradesh Executive Committee member M. C. Jose.
Mr. Jose also lauded Chief Minister Oommen Chandy for taking a decision at the State Cabinet held on Thursday to agree in-principal the recommendation of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) urging the government to pay a compensation of Rs. five lakh each for the families of deceased endosulfan victims and Rs. three lakh each for the seriously ailing victims.
The Cabinet moves to ask the Centre to review its decision to effect import of arecanut to save the cash strapped farmers in the district, is also a welcome step, he said.
The cabinet decision followed after proposals for a comprehensive development package and other issues concerning the backward district was submitted to Mr. Chandy by a team of Congress leaders led by KPCC President Ramesh Chennithala in Thiruvananthapuram on May 18, he claimed.
The proposals concerning the district’s all-round development were codified during Mr. Chennithala’s interaction with cross section of the society during the recently held “Sneha Sandesha Yatra’ led by him to campaign against recurring communal clashes in parts of the district, Mr. Jose said, lauding efforts of the KPCC President.
Hailing the cabinet decision to agree in principle to implement the NHRC recommendation to help endosulfan victims by involving the state owned Plantation Corporation of Kerala (PCK), senior Congress leader V. M. Sudheeran, who had been in the forefront in coordinating the relief and rehabilitation of the hapless victims, called for a mechanism to ensure effective implementation of the already announced rehabilitation packages.
“There appears to be lack of effective coordination among various agencies to ensure that the relief and rehabilitation packages and the assured medical modules are reached to the targeted victims.,” Mr. Sudheeran told the Hindu over phone.
The authorities concerned should now strive to convene a meeting involving people’s representatives, anti-endosulfan activists, who had been spearheading prolonged agitations for the cause of the victims, and authorities concerned in the presence of Mr. Chandy to evolve an effective mechanism to ensure that the steps taken are reaching to the targeted section, he said.
Lauding the cabinet decision, Anti-endosulfan Campaign Committee Vice-President Narayanan Periya wondered why the government was “reluctant” to consider the veracity of study on the health hazards of endosulfan pesticide submitted by the Kozhikode Medical College when its report was accepted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
The report by the Medical College had been submitted before the Supreme Court. Yet it appears that the State government was reluctant to attribute endosulfan for the alarming health hazards in affected 11 panchayats in the district, Mr. Periya also called for immediate clearing of huge endosulfan stock lying in the three PCK go downs in the district.
