KOCHI: The construction work of Cochin Cancer Centre, which came to a grinding halt after members of various trade unions barged into the site and threatened the labourers employed by the contractor, might resume. At a meeting held by the District Collector with the representatives of various trade unions on Wednesday, it was decided to employ local labourers.
"The construction work of the Cancer Centre won't stop. The work will go ahead as planned and there will be no obstructions," said District Collector K Mohammed Y Safirulla.
He said it has been decided to employ the labourers living in the area where the project is coming up. "The labourers will be paid government-approved wages," he added.
The construction of the center, an ambitious project of the state government, came to a halt after around 50 trade union members forcefully entered the site and harassed the labourers employed by the contractor. Following this the contractor sent a message to the authorities and stopped work. "The trade union members belonging to different political parties had been creating problems at the site for quite sometime," said Dr N K Sanilkumar, member, Justice Krishna Iyer Movement.
He said if earlier it was 'nokukooli' later it became the question of employing migrant labourers.
"They needed just some excuse to scuttle the project. Since the political parties can't openly create problems, they have resorted to underhand things like sending their goons disguised as trade union members," he said. Following the 'nokukooli' issue, the contractor had filed a petition before the Kerala High Court.