Is the Kannur district secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI-M] reconfiguring himself into a new avatar as the crusader for the green cause? That was the question that many scribes and activists in the district asked one another when the party’s district unit chief P. Jayarajan launched a campaign against unauthorised sand-mining in the ‘kadavus’ (sand-mining points) along the Valapattanam river.
Mr. Jayarajan’s decision to suddenly turn into an anti-mining campaigner has not only raised many eyebrows, especially among his own party men, but also given rise to many theories. Many of his party men are upset because they would be the worst-hit by any serious attempt to check illegal sand-mining. Not that they would be the only ones to suffer from any such campaign. All major political parties have a stake in the sand-mining game.
The possibility of Mr. Jayanjan’s own comrades sustaining the heaviest blow is greater because a majority of the sand-mining points in the area are controlled by CPI(M) activists appointed by the respective party-ruled panchayats. That is part of an unwritten pact involving major political players. Questions have begun to be raised about Mr. Jayarajan’s real motives precisely because of that. The question being asked is whether the pact between major political parties has collapsed.
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There is a lot of money to be earned from the sale of sand extracted in excess of the permitted quantity. Given the political control of the ‘kadavus’ and the interests of the party-dominated cooperatives on the mining of sand from the Azhikkal port basin, it would be a salutary development if Mr. Jayarajan is really motivated by the urge to save the river. It is early to say what shape this campaign will take. As things stand now, environmental activists here, though sceptical, are prepared to see Mr. Jayarajan’s campaign as driven by genuine concern. But even the incorrigible optimists among them are keeping their fingers firmly crossed.
A formidable task awaited N. Prasanth when he took over as District Collector, Kozhikode, in mid-February — from containing the violence in the politically and communally sensitive spots at Nadapuram to resolving civic issues plaguing Kozhikode city. But, in less than two months, the new Collector has made a big difference in the district.
The first thing that received appreciation was the digitisation of his office by creating a new Facebook page for public interface.
The digitisation programme soon percolated down to the subordinate offices. Today, all village offices in the district have internet connectivity and village officers and Tahsildhars have e-mail ids. For the general public, free Wi-Fi hubs are being set up. Measures have also been taken to breathe life into the crumbling Mananchira Public Library.
The launch of the District Collector’s Internship Programme is attracting young talent from far and wide. Corporate executives, professionals, and socially sensitive citizens have evinced interest in the programme. The cash-strapped State government should also be happy as, under the new Collector’s stewardship, the Department of Commercial Taxes was able to mop up taxes to the tune of Rs.1,028.04 crore, up from Rs.894.32 last fiscal. Kozhikode district has taken the first position among districts in terms of tax revenue growth. He was able to intervene on time to reclaim a 1.25-acre plot of Nayanar Balikasadanam at Eranhipalam for the mentally challenged, which otherwise would have gone into the hands of the powerful land mafia. A Facebook post urging the public to contribute household articles for the Government Mental Health Centre has also evoked a good response. Several much-delayed projects such as widening of the Mananchira-Vellimadukunnu road are also showing signs of revival. Looks like the young IAS officer is well on his way to joining some of his illustrious predecessors such as K. Jayakumar and Amitabh Kant who had become darlings of the Kozhikode populace.
With inputs from Mohamed Nazeer (Kannur) and
Biju Govind (Kozhikode)