KOCHI: Tired of the trail of broken promises by consecutive governments, families displaced due to the Vallarpadam Container Terminal project have decided to strengthen their campaign seeking justice.
“The campaign is a clarion call for the political parties who have been ignoring our voices,” said Francis Kalathunkal, general convenor of the Moolampilly Coordination Committee.
The residents of Moolampilly were evicted 16 years ago to pave the way for the very ambitious Container Terminal project.
“As many as 326 families from Mulavukad, Kothadu, Cheranalloor, Vaduthala, Kalamassery, Eloor, Manjummel and Edappally were evicted in 2008 to build road and rail connectivity to ICTT. The then-LDF government brought out a Moolampilly rehabilitation package. Though the families were granted plots at seven places in and around Kochi, six of them were landfills. Over 250 families are yet to get houses and are living in rented houses,” said Francis.
When the land was allotted, 52 families decided to construct houses. “However, seven of them found the structures sinking and developing cracks. So, others refrained from investing their hard-earned money in building houses. They continue to live in houses taken on lease or on rent,” he says. A PWD study also pointed out that the lands were not suitable for constructing buildings and needed proper foundation work to support any structures, he adds.
The tragic thing is that around 36 people who had been waiting for the implementation of the rehabilitation package have passed away, four of whom died by suicide, he says.
“We were promised that one person from each family holding a degree would be given a job at the terminal once the project comes to fruition. However, we were given nothing,” he says.
The creation of a post of rehabilitation officer has also been our long-pending demand. “We need such an official to oversee the implementation of the rehabilitation packages,” said Francis.
The Moolampilly evictees also want the monitoring panel that was set up for their rehabilitation to be revamped.
COMPENSATION
Evictees were to be allotted 4.5 cents of land if the extent taken over was below 5 cents and 5.5 cents if the area exceeded 5 cents.
HC directed government to ensure land allotted is made fit for A-Class construction, up to the standards of consolidation necessary for a double-storeyed building
The government sanctioned Rs 75,000 per family for piling work
A member of each family was guaranteed employment
Rs 5,000 for each family as rent till their rehabilitation and a lump-sum of Rs 10,000 for shifting