Even after Rural Development Minister K C Joseph reiterating that State government would not disband the Attappady Hill Area Development Society (AHADS), confusion still prevails regarding the proposed Rs 1,037 crore Wayanad tribal development project, of which AHADS is the implementation agency.
According to the officials of Department of Rural Development, government is now considering several options including constituting a fresh team for the implementation of the project in Wayanad upon getting the government nod.
Speaking to Express, Rural Development Minister K C Joseph emphasised that AHADS would not be dismantled.
We have maintained a 12 member team and the decision to shelve the services of officers who are on deputation including the project manager was taken against the backdrop that at present AHADS is not engaged in implementing any special projects.
” Refuting this claims, a former official of AHARDS said that by handing over the duty of project Manager to Palakkad district collector, government virtually disbanded the Society.
“If government is sincere in its approach, it should not have issued an order disbanding the society at a time when many of the projects submitted by AHARDS including that in Wayanad is on the verge of getting the approval.
This decision of the government will badly affect the implementation of the proposed projects,” officer added.
Earlier, the pilot project of the mega scheme was submitted to the government by AHADS on August 2010 after its successful implementation of Rs 219-crore eco-restoration and tribal empowerment project in Attappady.
Though the funding agency of AHADS, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has agreed in principle to fund the Wayanad project, State government is yet to approve the `24.
14-crore pilot project.
“We have not yet received any direction from the State government relating to the future of proposed AHADS projects in the district.
Though government has disbanded AHADS, we now think that a new team will be constituted exclusively for implementing the proposed projects in Wayanad,” said Harikishore, Sub Collector, Wayanad