Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy has asked the Attappady Hills Area Development Society (AHADS) to continue its eco-restoration and tribal empowerment projects by taking up a comprehensive agriculture development programme in Attappady.
Talking to mediapersons here on Monday, he said Union Minister of State for Agriculture K.V. Thomas had agreed to get Central funds for such a scheme. Mr. Thomas would visit Attappady shortly along with officials of his Ministry to examine the possibility of taking up a comprehensive agriculture project, he said.
A project submitted by the AHADS Volunteers Welfare Association to continue the project is under the consideration of the Union Agriculture Ministry, Mr. Chandy said.
He urged officials of AHADS to continue the tribal housing scheme. Old houses in Agali and other places that are not suitable for habitation should be replaced with new houses constructed by AHADS in hamlets like Sambarcode.
He criticised the State government for winding up the AHADS project in April this year under the plea that its 10-year implementation period was over and the government did not intend to continue the project as the funding agency had stopped financing it. The AHADS project was started in 2000 and an amount of Rs. 200 crore had been spent. It was financed by the Japan International Co-operation Agency.
Mr. Chandy who visited the Kodumgarapallam stream that was regenerated after it had gone dry for many years by AHADS through soil and water conservation projects said the stream symbolised the success of AHADS schemes.
