THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said the government was not for reducing the extent of Kurinji sanctuary. He said this in the Assembly while replying to the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the Governor’s address. The government’s policy is for retaining the sanctuary in its actual extent. But the concerns of the settlers in the region should also be taken into account while protecting the sanctuary,’’ he said. As per the notification, the extent of Kurinji sanctuary is 3,200 hectares. But the extent of it is now calculated at about 2,900 hectares. Some of the land is in the hands of private owners, Pinarayi said.
Resurvey
On the allegation that resurvey was going on slowly, Pinarayi said the resurvey was completed in 21 villages and 4.5 lakh online mutations were done after the Left Government came to power. During the UDF Government’s tenure, resurvey was completed only in six villages and only 48,900 online mutations were done, he added. He said the government was against encroachment and stern action would be taken against all encroachers in the state.
Pinarayi said all dues with respect to KSRTC pension would be given soon. The KSRTC will soon become a corporation without any pension dues, he said. On the reported delay in the Vizhinjam Port, he said there was only a short delay in the work owing to cyclone Ockhi. On allegations that files were piled up in his office and secretariat, Pinarayi said there was no fact in it. ‘’Till December 2017, ninety-nine percent of the 1,300 files have been cleared. There is also no delay in clearing any of the files in January,’’ he said.
Loka Kerala Sabha
Stating that the Loka Kerala Sabha was a great success, he said it was aimed at harnessing the intellectual and financial resources of expatriate Keralites for the development of the state. “It was the first time that such a mega event was held. It is a great step in the state’s quest for democratisation. The Sabha will also be a space to discuss the various problems faced by Pravasi Keralites and will strive to find solutions to the problem,’’ he said. Pinarayi said an amount of Rs 4.5 crore had been earmarked in the 2017-18 budget for the Loka Kerala Sabha.