Fishermen to protest delay in execution of housing project

The state government had sanctioned Rs 2.8 crore to the Kerala State Coastal Area Development Corporation for constructing homes for families who lost their houses to sea erosion
A woman trying to collect debris after a portion of her house  was washed away by sea erosion. (Photo | Vincent Pulickal, EPS)
A woman trying to collect debris after a portion of her house was washed away by sea erosion. (Photo | Vincent Pulickal, EPS)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Its been nearly eight years since the government launched a housing project to rehabilitate the families of nearly 32 fishermen who lost their homes to sea erosion in the state capital. The state government had sanctioned `2.8 crores to the Kerala State Coastal Area Development Corporation (KSCADC) for constructing homes in 42 cents in Valiyathura. However, the Corporation has finished constructing only eight out of the 32 homes, leaving the other families in the lurch. 

The beneficiaries of the project have landed in a fix after they were deemed ineligible for the Life Mission scheme of the current government. Though the beneficiaries have sought the intervention of Kerala State Human Rights Commission, nothing has happened so far. On Tuesday, a group of fisherman families submitted a letter to the KSCADC announcing a protest.

Renuka John, a beneficiary who sought the intervention of the Kerala State Human Rights Commission, said that life has been miserable after the pandemic outbreak. “I have two kids and have been living at the relief camp for the past 6.5 years. Since the pandemic outbreak, we are unable to continue at the relief camps. Recently, I tried to submit an application to get included in the Life Mission Scheme of the state government. But they rejected my application as I am already a beneficiary of another housing project,” said Renuka John, who had to move to a relative’s home. 

“The complaint I submitted to the human rights commission has also gone in vain. They haven’t called me or others, even for a sitting, because the officials didn’t turn up for the sittings called by the commission,” Renuka John added. Former Valiyathura councillor Tony Oliver, who is leading the protest, said that they have informed KSCADC about it. “We have decided to take to the street and protest, violating Section 144 restrictions,” said Tony.

A senior official of KSCADC said that they couldn’t execute the project because of a dispute over the land earmarked for the project. “The land identified for the project is located adjacent to St Anthony’s School, Valiyathura, and the school authorities wanted the land in exchange for another plot owned by them. We are just an execution agency and the land was handed over to us by the civic body. We wrote to them, but we haven’t got a reply yet. We have given a report to the fisheries department too in this regard. Now the government has to take a call,” said the official. According to sources, the Harbour Engineering Department has taken over the project.  
 

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