THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan has asked the government to immediately withdraw the order permitting the reclamation of 378 acres of paddy land at Methrankayal at Kumarakom in Kottayam and 47 acres of paddy land at Kadamakkudy pachayat in the Ernakulam district.
Condemning the Revenue Department’s order issued on the eve the election notification, he said the Election Commission should intervene to revoke the order issued in a hasty manner. “The timing of the order is dubious. The government’s act was like slaughter tapping as it was sure that it would not return to power” he said. He said the government, which should have tried to help develop the fallow lands for cultivation, was promoting reclamation of whatever land was left under paddy cultivation in the state.
Warning that the state was staring at a severe drought, he said that such an order at a time when serious crisis was brewing on the food security front was not acceptable. Kummanam pointed out that only 13 per cent of food grains was produced in the state. Besides causing a staggering dearth of food grains, it would also lead to dire environmental issues.He also warned of simmering protests and agitations if the order is not cancelled, fiercer than what the government faced in the Aranmula airport issue.